10/10/2006
NEWS STORY
Today, Tuesday 10 October is a date for F1 fans to mark in their diaries, as the Renault F1 Team and Oxfam join forces once again to host an online auction of F1 memorabilia to raise money to help overcome poverty and suffering in Brazil. This is the fifth in a series of auctions that have raised over £60,000 for Oxfam's work in Brazil in the last four years.
Renault F1 Team are again providing unique items for auction as part of their continuing support of Oxfam's ‘One Million Cisterns' project, which provides water for poor communities in North Eastern Brazil. This is a region where 11 million rural people do not have access to clean water, the lack of which causes illness and disease and is a huge factor in the high infant mortality rate in the region. Ensuring access to a safe water supply is the vital priority and, in partnership with other organisations, Oxfam is implementing a huge project to build one million water tanks to collect rainwater in this region.
The Ebay auction runs for ten days ending on Thursday, 19 October and gives anyone and everyone the chance to bid on hugely collectable (signed) F1 memorabilia worn by current world champion Fernando Alonso and fellow Renault F1 Team drivers Giancarlo Fisichella and Heikki Kovalainen. Items on offer include:
Renault F1 Team Managing Director Flavio Briatore commented: "The members of the Renault F1 Team are once again proud to be supporting Oxfam's charitable work in Brazil. We race in Sao Paulo every year, and enjoy the vibrant culture and hospitality of the country. But we are also struck by the social poverty in the cities - and that we know exists in the countryside too. It is a privilege to be able to use the popularity of our team, and Formula 1, to improve the basic standard of living for so many people, and we hope that this auction will make a significant contribution to achieving that goal."
"Over the last four years these auctions have raised significant amounts of money for the One Million Cisterns project in Brazil, and we are extremely grateful for the Renault F1 Team's continued support. The sale of these items – each one representing a piece of F1 history – will make a huge contribution to our work," said Michael Taylor, Oxfam's Marketing Manager, High Value Donated Gifts.
To check out the auction, {url=http:// www.oxfam.org.uk/f1 pphotlinkhighlight}click here