Snowbird, Utah....The Carter Center's 12th annual "Winter Weekend" auction held Feb. 28 in Snowbird, Utah, raised $823,946 to help support the Center's work to advance peace and health worldwide.

The highest bids were: $175,000 for a baseball signed by Cuba President Fidel Castro and President Carter during his historic trip to Cuba in May 2002; $125,000 for President Carter's historic self-portrait depicting the handshake with President Anwar Sadat and Premier Menachem Begin at the ceremony of the signing of the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty in 1979; $72,500 for an autographed photograph of five presidents (Nixon through Bush) and six first ladies (Johnson through Bush); and $60,000 for a weeklong cruise on a 152-foot luxury yacht.

"Rosalynn and I are grateful for the support our partners and friends show for the Center during our annual auction each year," said President Carter. "Their enthusiasm and belief in our mission inspires us and our staff at The Carter Center as we work to wage peace, fight disease, and build hope around the world."

Based in Atlanta, The Carter Center is a not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization founded by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, in 1982. The Center has helped to improve the lives of millions of people in more than 65 countries.

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