NEW YORK (By Tiffany Ship/ Ken
Sunshine Consultants) - Jon
Bon Jovi will place four autographed Philadelphia Soul Jerseys on eBay for auction on Monday, August 14 to raise money for Project H.O.M.E in Philadelphia. Three of the jerseys contain celebrity signatures from Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Uma Thurman, Luke Wilson, Rainn Wilson,
Scarlett Johannsen, Tommy Lee, and "Extra's" Mark McGrath - all of which were gathered by the nationally syndicated entertainment newsmagazine show "
Extra" throughout several days of superstar interviews. Additionally,
Bon Jovi has also gathered signatures which also appear on some of the jerseys. These include Michael Douglas, Diana Ross,
Jessica Alba, Shannon Elizabeth, Sheryl Crow, Kanye West, Eva Longoria, Anna
Nicole Smith,
Kelly Osbourne, Jenny McCarthy, Slash, Clay Aiken, Kix Brooks, among others.
"Extra" recently took Jon Bon Jovi's philanthropic endeavors to heart. The rock star, who has a track record of charitable involvement, asked the show's on-ar personalities to autograph a handful of Philadelphia Soul Arena Football Jerseys (Mr. Bon Jovi is co-owner of the team) and was thrilled when the show took it one step further. By bringing the jerseys with them as they interviewed some of the world's biggest stars, they collected autographs along the way. When "Extra's" New York correspondent, Tanika Ray, interviewed Jon Bon Jovi at one of the bands three sold-out homecoming shows at Giants Stadium which closed out the band's "Have a Nice Day" World Tour, she surprised the star with the good deed that her show had done. The three jerseys, along with a fourth autographed jersey that the band brought to the 2004 American Music Awards, will now be auctioned on eBay in order to raise money for Project H.O.M.E. in Philadelphia.
"My mission with the Philadelphia Soul has been to use the team as a means to help local charities and causes in the community," says Jon Bon Jovi. "'Extra' took up the challenge. My sincere gratitude to Extra and to all the celebrities who were generous with their time and added their signatures to help me raise money for the incredible work that Project H.O.M.E. does."
Mr. Bon Jovi's Philadelphia Soul franchise launched in 2004 with a commitment to become more than a sports franchise. Their involvement with local charities within the Philadelphia community remains strong. Each season the Soul identify local causes with whom they partner.
The Soul donate money and time to the worthy charities and also help raise the awareness of the cause among their fans and the local Philadelphia market.
This year, Jon Bon Jovi and the Philadelphia Soul have partnered with Project H.O.M.E. - a nonprofit founded by Sister Mary Scullion and Joan Dawson McConnon in 1989. The organization provides a full range of services for chronically homeless people with mental illness and/or substance abuse disorders, including street outreach, safe havens, permanent supportive housing and a range of services to supplement housing. This continuum is an important part of Project H.O.M.E.'s success: each person is recognized as an individual with unique needs. Services at each facility are different; some residents are not ready to accept regimented drug or alcohol treatment, while others may be able to live almost independently. Largely responsible for drastically reducing the issue of homelessness in the city of Philadelphia, Project H.O.M.E. is recognized nationally as a model program that other organizations addressing the issue of homelessness strive to emulate in helping solve the problems they face in their own cities.
For more information on BON JOVI, please visit www.bonjovi.com
For more information on Bon Jovi merchandise and for a direct link to the Charity Auction, please visit www.bonjovionline.com
For more information on the PHILADELPHIA SOUL, please visit www.philadelphiasoul.com
For more information on PROJECT H.O.M.E., please visit www.projecthome.org
For more information on EXTRA, please visit www.extratv.com
