American Chopper Auction to Benefit Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund
“American Chopper” auction to benefit Intrepid Fallen Heroes FundNew York, NY – March 31, 2005 - In an act of great generosity and caring, Paul Sr. and Paulie, the stars of today’s hottest cable television show, American Chopper, are gearing up to auction off 2 sensational bikes, which will be the heart of items to be featured at the “Orange County Choppers Support Our Troops” auction to be held on Friday, May 6, 2005 at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum on Manhattan’s West Side. Guernsey’s, the auction house known as a leader in bringing the unprecedented and unique to sale, will be conducting the auction. American Chopper can be seen on Mondays at 10PM (ET/PT) on the Discovery Channel.
Choppers, motorcycles built from scratch, are outrageous works of art that are bent, hammered, welded, painted and polished, and truly customized to some of the baddest steel that’s ever roared down the road on two wheels. The proceeds from the sale of these bikes, and many other items consigned by Orange County Choppers, will be directed towards the families of our troops who have been seriously wounded or killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. More specifically, the charities are the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, which provides unrestricted grants for the families of soldiers recently killed in action, and the Fisher House Foundation, a home away from home for families of seriously wounded soldiers being treated in military hospitals. The auction will be held on the deck of the USS Intrepid, the venerable former aircraft carrier turned museum that is berthed on the mighty Hudson River. The USS Intrepid now serves as a lasting memorial to those who sacrificed their lives for our country and makes for an ideal setting for this unparalleled auction.
The sudden popularity of the American Chopper series and the almost legendary status achieved by the family of fellows who run Orange County Choppers – has been nothing short of phenomenal. The covers of national magazines, AOL commercials during the Super Bowl, appearances in front of six figure-sized audiences at venues including New York City’s Javits Center and Daytona Bike Week, have made the Teutul family household names. They have garnered worldwide praise and recognition for their choppers and have built bikes for their celebrity friends and fans such as Jay Leno (which the OCC presented to him on The Tonight Show), Lance Armstrong, Davis Love III, Wyclef Jean (who purchased the Spider bike), among many others. Indeed, each time Paul Sr., Paulie and Mikey appear publicly with some of their wild creations record-setting audiences show up.
“This is a remarkable opportunity for a national audience, who have grown to love American Chopper and the colorful Teutul family, to acquire an extraordinary piece of pop culture, while at the same time supporting our troops,” said Arlan Ettinger, president of Guernsey’s.
“It’s really a great privilege for us to be part of this event and help raise funds to support our troops,” Paul Sr. said. “Building bikes for this auction is just a way to give back to the men and women who have given this country their all.”
With additional items such as new Toyota Prius donated by the Tri-State Toyota Marketing Associations plus some of the biggest and most exciting memorabilia from celebrities across the worlds of sports, feature films, and popular music, as well as NASCAR and the Professional Golfers Association, the “Orange County Choppers Support Our Troops” auctions promises to deliver a thrilling ride for all auction participants. The guys from the Orange County Choppers will also kick in fenders, frames, handlebars and sissy bars and other accessories that were once part of original concepts for the bikes featured on their program but had to be swapped out for one reason or another.
The construction of the two custom-built choppers to be featured in the auction will be documented in two episodes of American Chopper, airing on the Discovery Channel. Auction previews will be held on Wednesday, May 4 and Thursday, May 5, 2005 at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum [12th Avenue at 46th Street]. Those interested in participating in this unprecedented auction by donating items of substance to be auctioned side-by-side with items from the Orange County Choppers, please contact Guernsey’s at 212-794-2280. All items donated will only help to further the cause to support our troops through the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund and Fisher House Foundation.
To donate items of significance or for more information, please contact
Guernsey’s at 212-794-2280 or visit our website at www.guernseys.com.