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Bidder Offers $100K For Celebrity-Charity iPhone


In addition to getting an iPhone purchased by Spike Lee, a personal message from Alicia Keys, and VIP passes to the a charity concert in New York, the winner supports AIDS treatment.



The nonprofit group Keep A Child Alive said Friday it has received a $100,000 bid for a charity auction package that includes the first iPhone purchased by Spike Lee at Apple's SoHo store in New York City.

The film director, producer, writer, and actor joined some of the charity's supporters after they stood in line for four days, wearing T-shirts and advertising the cause during the iPhone media frenzy late last month. Lee purchased the first iPhone and turned it over to the group, which posted it online for auction. It will come with two Jawbone Bluetooth headsets, two round-trip domestic airline tickets, and two VIP passes to the "Black Ball" charity concert in New York.

The iPhone will come with a personalized voice mail greeting from Alicia Keys, who will present it at the ball honoring Bono on Oct. 25. Keys has been selected as the global ambassador for Keep A Child Alive. The global organization supports AIDS treatment and research in Africa.

"We're thrilled. This iPhone is saving thousands of lives in Africa," said Elizabeth Santiso, VP at Keep A Child Alive. "We're so grateful to all of the people who contributed their time, money and energy on behalf of the cause."

Lee -- who wrote and directed films such as Do The Right Thing and Mo' Better Blues, and directed and acted in several television shows -- drew applause from hordes of fans as he purchased the iPhone with Keep A Child Alive representatives. Video of the scene is readily available on YouTube.

The auction closes Friday, July 6, at 6 p.m. Eastern time.

Other early-birds to the iPhone line also pledged to auction off iPhones for charity, though for substantially lower prices.


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