Local Celebs—Jonas Brothers, Justin Bieber, Kathy Griffin, Others Offer Private Prizes for Red Cross Auction

The Jonas Brothers, Kathy Griffin, Justin Bieber, Kelly Clarkson, Tim Conway Jr., radio show host George Noory and many other local celebs donated their time and talent to auctions for the Red Cross (www.redcross.org).

The joined forces of the California Earthquake Authority and American Red Cross (Red Cross)  have raised $160,000 through the second annual Get Prepared, California! online auction. All auction proceeds are dedicated to supporting the Red Cross disaster-preparedness programs in California.

The CEA and Clear Channel Media + Entertainment will present the Auction proceeds to the Red Cross on-stage during the Wango Tango event in Los Angeles this Saturday, May 11. Wango Tango is an annual day-long concert that features many marquee performers and draws sell-out crowds.

“We are grateful to receive the continuing support of Californians during our second annual online auction,” said American Red Cross Los Angeles Region CEO Paul Schulz. “It shows that our joined-forces efforts with the CEA succeeded in reminding Californians to prepare today to survive and recover after the next damaging earthquake. We appreciate the ongoing commitment of our valued partners, the CEA and Clear Channel, in sharing the goal of a better-prepared California.”

Sponsored by the CEA and managed by Clear Channel Media + Entertainment, the online auction ran during April, which is Earthquake Preparedness Month, and featured 34 once-in-a-lifetime items at www.GetPreparedCalifornia.org.

Some of the exclusive items included opportunities to meet celebrity bands and musicians such as Shania Twain, Maroon 5 and Justin Bieber, meet star athletes and see them in action, get dance lessons from the pros at Dancing with the Stars and tickets to this year’s final show, and a Kennedy Space Center All-Access Space Pass astronaut-training experience.

“The goal of our ongoing work with the Red Cross is to increase the level of earthquake preparedness in California,” CEA CEO Glenn Pomeroy said. “Through promotion of the statewide auction, we reminded Californians to prepare their families by getting an emergency kit, making a plan, being informed, and considering earthquake insurance, while raising funds to directly support Red Cross disaster-preparedness programs in California.”

California has about two-thirds of the nation’s earthquake risk, with some 2,000 known faults that together produce an average of 102 earthquakes a day—more than 37,000 a year.

Yet, according to a UCLA School of Public Health and Survey Research Center report in 2010, “relatively few [California] households have acted to mitigate losses and reduce injuries” from earthquakes.

To address the preparedness gap, the CEA and the American Red Cross joined forces to help more people prepare to survive and recover from California’s next damaging earthquake.