Admit it. You always wanted to do time travel in a DeLorean — (that is riding without going to jail for dealing cocaine as John DeLorean did).
The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) in New York City, in conjunction with the Discovery Channel’s Expedition Unknown television series, is hosting a Back to the Future-themed auction. Proceeds will fund the MJFF’s Parkinson’s disease research efforts.
Through April 15, charity auction site Charitybuzz is offering five lots that reflect either the 1985 movie Back to the Future, its star Michael J. Fox, Discovery channel gear or a special set of episodes of Expedition Unknown – 2021 Expedition: Back to the Future.
The auction marks the first time the MJFF has worked directly with Charitybuzz, although Team Fox, the organization’s grassroots fundraising operation, has used Charitybuzz to facilitate its community fundraising auctions, according to MJFF Senior Vice President of Development Michele Golombuski.
“Discovery created a one-of-a-kind DeLorean [for the show] with the idea of the proceeds coming to the foundation,” Golombuski said.
In the original movie, a DeLorean automobile served as a time travel mechanism for Fox and co-star Christopher Lloyd. Lloyd also starred in the Back to the Future-themed episodes of Expedition Unknown, in which he traveled throughout the country picking up pieces of a DeLorean.
Other lots include a shirt worn by Lloyd during filming of the show, a tour of a privately held collection of Back to the Future memorabilia and a Les Paul guitar autographed by Fox.
According to Charitybuzz Vice President of Campaign Development, Nicole Orzo, setting sale price expectations is a matter of how its network of philanthropists have valued similar lots. The lots are listed at https://www.charitybuzz.com/theme/MJFTimemachine/lots. The DeLorean is valued at $500,000. Three weeks before the final gaveling, the highest bid stood at $155,000.
Whatever the final hammer price, the MJFF will be a winner. “They are receiving brand new unrestricted funds they would never have had access to,” Charitybuzz Senior Director of Special Projects Janai Speer said. “This is not part of [donors’] annual or end-of-year giving, or even charitable events giving.”
The MJFF has had success with previous Back to the Future-related fundraisers, said Golombuski. Two events, both centered around Nike MAG shoes patterned after those Fox wore in Back to the Future II (1989) brought in nearly $11.5 million.
