Online Department Store, Chelsea Marketeers, is Official Home of the Auction; 100% of Proceeds Go Towards Fight Against HIV/AIDS
NEW YORK, NY – December 3, 2007 – Cable Positive, the cable and telecommunications industry's AIDS action organization, in partnership with Josh Sapan, President & CEO, Rainbow Media, and Chelsea Marketeers, the online eBay selling firm, are collaborating to host an online art auction to help raise funds in support of the fight against HIV/AIDS. Sapan, a longtime supporter of Cable Positive, will donate pieces of his "discarded art"-abandoned and discarded paintings and photos he rescues from the sidewalks of New York-for the auction. The online event will launch on World AIDS Day, Saturday, December 1, and can be found on the Cable Postive homepage http://www.cablepositive.org.
The art featured in the live auction will come from Sapan's personal collection of discarded art. Destined for the trash heap, the artwork Sapan retrieves comes from a variety of spots around New York City, from sidewalks, to yard sales, to art school discard bins. Sapan's personal passion of collecting discarded art has led him to amass hundreds of gems, from Yard Art to antique collectibles.
"Cable Positive founder and Chelsea Marketeers President, Jeff Bernstein has provided us with a new way to bring the fight against HIV/AIDS to the mainstream online marketplace," said Steve Villano, President & CEO, Cable Positive. "With Josh Sapan's generous art donation, this new initiative will not only bring more visibility to the fight, but much needed support for new programs and services targeting those affected by the disease."
"I am thrilled to be collaborating with such an extraordinary organization as Cable Positive," added Sapan. "This is a wonderful opportunity and I am so pleased to be able to share these beautiful art pieces with the community to help raise money for the fight against HIV/AIDS."
The online auction is part of a larger Cable Positive campaign featuring Sapan's art collection. Most recently, he donated pieces from his collection to the Atlanta Chapter of Cable Positive's annual art auction.
Cable Positive is now a registered non-profit organization on the online auction site Ebay, and because Chelsea Marketeers will be absorbing all of the administrative costs, all profits raised from the sale of any merchandise, tickets and experiences will be used to support Cable Positive's AIDS awareness efforts nationwide. By registering with MissionFish, Ebay's non-profit coordinating company, Cable Positive will benefit not only from sales made through Chelsea Marketeers, but also from individuals selling on eBay who wish to donate a portion of their proceeds-greatly expanding the reach of the organization into the consumer marketplace.
The live auction will begin on Saturday, December 1st and last until Saturday, December 22nd. One hundred percent of the proceeds will go towards Cable Positive's fight against HIV/AIDS. For more information on Sapan's collection visit: www.discardedart.com or check out the online auction at http://www.cablepositive.org/.
About Cable Positive:
Founded in 1992, Cable Positive is a non profit organization dedicated to unifying the talents, resources, access and influence of the communications industry to raise AIDS awareness; to fund AIDS education, research and care; and to promote a more compassionate climate for people whose lives have been affected by HIV and AIDS.
About Joshua Sapan, President and Chief Executive Officer Rainbow Media Holdings LLC:
One of the cable industry's premier innovators and a pioneer in the entertainment industry, Joshua Sapan leads Rainbow Media Holdings LLC, a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation. Sapan has guided Rainbow Media's growth and success for 20 years, creating and managing some of the world's most compelling and dynamic entertainment brands. Under his leadership, Rainbow Media is now a leading producer of targeted, multi-platform content for global distribution.
About Chelsea Marketeers:
Chelsea Marketeers is an eBay Powerseller and Authorized Trading Assistant. The company specializes in commercial accounts and private collections. Established in 1999, Chelsea Marketeers has created an online version of a department store selling a wide variety of high quality merchandise, including art, jewelry, clothing, memorabilia, collectibles and furniture. Chelsea Marketeers also sells on behalf of several major charitable organizations. The company is run by Jeffrey A. Bernstein, CEO.