Baby Cradle Crafted by Former U.S. President Highlights Auction to Benefit The Carter Center

CONTACT: Paula Hovater
In Atlanta, 770-998-1106
paula@publicaffairs.ws

Atlanta…Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter will host their 15th annual Winter Weekend and auction to benefit The Carter Center Jan. 30 – Feb. 3 at Club Med in Cancun, Mexico.

This year, President Carter will offer one of his exclusive woodworking designs for auction. He has handcrafted a baby cradle made of unusual tiger wood, which stands 43 inches tall, 19.5 inches wide, and 35 inches long. Last year's Jimmy Carter signature piece sold for $1,000,000.

"Rosalynn and I are deeply grateful for those who provide critical support to help make a difference around the world," President Carter said. "Their contributions inspire The Carter Center to face new challenges to improve life for the world's poorest and most forgotten people."

Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2007, The Carter Center is a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization founded by the Carters in 1982 to promote peace and health worldwide.

This year's Winter Weekend event is a unique time for President and Mrs. Carter, along with many friends and supporters, to gather and reflect on a quarter-century of progress spurred by Carter Center efforts in 65 nations worldwide.

The highlight of the long weekend is an auction to benefit The Carter Center. Many of the auction items are one-of-a-kind collector's items. Both the silent and live auctions are open to the public and the more than 150 items can be viewed in the online catalogs.

These and other live auction items can be viewed online at www.cartercenter.org/donate/winter_weekend/liveauction.asp

• Caesars Palace vacation with Celine Dion tickets
• New York vacation with play tickets, meals, and much more
• Savannah vacation featuring dinner with Paula Dean
• Makeover décor for kitchen, dining room, and den
• Two bottles of President Carter's homemade, private-label wine
• One-week vacation in a luxurious two-bedroom, two-bath Renaissance apartment in Rome, Italy
• Rare prints of President Carter's paintings
• One-week stay at the Villa Grand Palm Springs, a home formerly owned by Christina Onassis
• Signed photos of President Carter and other U.S. presidents
• A week in a luxurious Hawaii home
• Diamond earrings appraised at $17,000
• Lavish New Orleans vacation featuring dinner in Emeril's kitchen
• Guitars signed by rock and country music stars
• Many original works of art.

These and other silent auction items can be viewed online at www.cartercenter.org/donate/winter_weekend/silentauction.asp

• Rare copy of Tribute to President Gerald R. Ford by his congressional colleagues with Ford's signature
• Limited Edition books signed by Presidents George H. W. Bush and Gerald R. Ford
• Signed 1976 Carter presidential campaign poster
• Signed Statue of Liberty poster by Peter Max
• 1980 White House Christmas print
• Habitat folding director's chair with Jimmy Carter printed on back.

All bids must be received by 4:00 p.m. (Central Standard Time) on Friday, Feb. 2, 2007. Live auction items can be bid on by fax, and silent auction items can be bid on by fax or online. Bid sheets are available online, with each catalog, or by clicking here:

Silent auction bid sheet

Live auction bid sheet

Delta Air Lines, The Coca-Cola Company, Whirlpool, and American Express Business Travel are among the many corporate sponsors of this year's event. Both Delta Air Lines and Coca-Cola have provided financial and volunteer support for The Carter Center since its inception.

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The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide. The Center has helped to improve life for people in more than 65 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; improving mental health care; and teaching farmers to increase crop production.

CLICK TO VIEW CATALOGS

Live Auction Catalog

Silent Auction Catalog