
DATE: Thursday, October 2, 1997             TAG: 9710020065

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E3   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY SUE VanHECKE, CORRESPONDENT 

                                            LENGTH:   62 lines

ST. JUDE AUCTION READY TO GO WITH CELEBS' STUFF

GOT A HANKERING for Hank Williams Jr.'s electric guitar? Love Patty Loveless' leather and suede Western jacket? Those items and more will be on the block at the St. Jude Celebrity Auction this Saturday night.

The charity event, which includes a sit-down dinner, will take place at Kokoamo's restaurant in Virginia Beach.

Founded by the late Danny Thomas, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is the largest childhood cancer research center in the world. St. Jude shares its findings with other children's hospitals around the globe.

Auction director Susan Wilkinson has gathered an array of items from a couple hundred sports and entertainment celebrities for the black-tie-optional soiree.

``We have everything, from Patti LaBelle's gold sequined shoes (to) baseballs, drum heads, personal items from presidents and athletes,'' Wilkinson said. ``We've got Western shirts, jackets, miniature race cars. Everything is autographed with certificates of authenticity.''

Smaller items will be sold through hourly silent auctions, where buyers will ``mill around the table, going from one item to the next - and if they see something they want to bid on, they just put their paddle number on a sheet with their bid,'' Wilkinson explained. ``Then somebody else who wants to top that bid puts their paddle number and their bid. At the end of that hour, (the items) are awarded.

``With over 220 celebrities who have donated items to be auctioned off, we just couldn't do it any other way.''

Grab bags - collections of free merchandise, tickets, even trips, donated by local businesses - will also be available. The grab bags will have a value of three times their set price.

Gathering the famous collectibles was a big job, made easier by the charity's fine reputation, Wilkinson tells.

``I worked through the agents of each individual entertainer and athlete. All the celebrities have been just great. They know that 100 percent (of the) net proceeds from the auction goes directly to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. It's a wonderful cause. They also know that the hospital supports all children's hospitals worldwide - there's no preferential treatment.''

The annual auction attracts attendees from across the country.

``We have buyers from California, Texas, New York, Washington, Pennsylvania and West Virginia'' in addition to local benefactors, Wilkinson said. ``It's a wonderful evening - full of fun, full of surprises.''

So what's the most unique item up for bid?

``Well, we have some very unusual items,'' Wilkinson said, ``like Ringo Starr's brass cymbal. Ringo does not normally give autographs, but this one he did. We have Garth Brooks' beautiful, red, acoustic guitar. We've got Jimmy Buffet's `Come Monday' guitar. We've got a fiddle from Charlie Daniels, which is cute as it can be - it's three-quarter size.

``Everything is very unique.'' ILLUSTRATION: Graphic

WANT TO GO?

What: St. Jude Celebrity Auction

When: 6 p.m. Saturday

Where: Kokoamo's Yacht Club in Marina Shores, upstairs over the

restaurant at 2100 Marina Shores Drive, Virginia Beach

Tickets: $100, dinner included

Call: 640-8662