Music Acts Donate Concert Tickets

07/06/2005 6:59 AM, AP


Paul McCartney, Celine Dion, Maroon 5 and other music acts have donated concert tickets and special experiences in an online auction for Music Clearing Minefields, an initiative of the United Nations Association's Adopt-A-Minefield Campaign.

"Heather and I have worked hard to raise funds and awareness for Adopt-A-Minefield," McCartney said in a statement Tuesday. "We hope that through Music Clearing Minefields, others will become as impassioned about this cause as we are."

McCartney has donated VIP tickets to his sold-out fall tour to the online auction, which was set to go live Wednesday on the Charity Folks Web site. Coldplay, Meat Loaf, Avril Lavigne, Elvis Costello, Brian Wilson, Jack Johnson, B.B. King and others also have donated concert tickets and "meet-and-greets."

Last year, Music Clearing Minefields auctioned off items such as tickets to the "Kingdom of Heaven" film premiere, passes to a Valentino fashion show in Paris and drum skins signed by Aerosmith and Ringo Starr. Adopt-A-Minefield encourages individuals, community groups and businesses to resolve the global land mine crisis.

"I have always believed that music makes the world a better place; but not until recently did I fully understand the scope of this statement," McCartney said. "Music Clearing Minefields demonstrates the way music can make the world a safer place."

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On the Net:

http://www.landmines.org/

http://www.charityfolks.com