Charity begins on Ebay as singer auctions his talents
In the first event of its kind, popular singer-songwriter Andy Flannagan (below) has agreed to
auction his musical talents on Ebay, offering a front room gig for the winning bidder and friends at their house. All proceeds from the auction, due to begin on November 17, will be directed towards Tearfund and Macmillan Cancer Support, the charities nominated by ‘Team Sanddodgers’, a group of three young entrepreneurial Christians who will be taking part in a high-profile £100 banger rally from Plymouth to Banjul, Gambia.
“This might well be the craziest thing I have done in a long time”, remarks Andy Flannagan, who is the national singer-songwriter for Youth for Christ. “But not as crazy as what Team Sanddodgers will be doing! It’s all worth it though, because the boys are raising the profile of the great work that Tearfund and Macmillan are doing and financially supporting them.”
The online auction will last a total of ten days and is expected to generate a high level of interest from around the country, with bids as outrageous as the rally itself. It’s the latest in a series of fundraising activities from Team Sanddodgers, who have also sold-off A4-sized squares of their car for sponsorship by businesses, churches and other groups. The auction aims to help propel the fundraising total closer to the target amount of £10,000.
“There’s something about doing crazy stunts for the right reasons that seems to capture people’s imaginations,” explains 26-year-old Gareth Wallace, who will be taking time off his work at the Evangelical Alliance to compete in the rally. “Besides, this rally combines our love for God, cars and doing crazy publicity stunts. It’s a perfect fit!”
Team Sanddodgers, which also includes Brunel University PhD Student Jon Farley and Metronet employee Peter Laurie, will be taking part in the fifth annual Plymouth to Banjul Rally, an on-the-cheap alternative to the prestigious Paris to Dakar Rally, with the real challenge being to raise money for charity.
In addition to driving the 3,699 mile course, Team Sanddodgers must complete the rally in a car purchased at less than £100, with additions and repairs not exceeding £15. The team set off on their adventure on December 27 and hope to return by January 16, 2007.
