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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Bieber's guitar auctioned off to help Winnipeg food bank

By: Gordon Sinclair Jr.

Posted: 11/15/2011 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

Kenny Boyce donates a signed guitar from Justin Bieber (below, with Selena Gomez) to Harvest's director of development, Kate Brenner. (KEN GIGLIOTTI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

THE BIEBER EFFECT... Kenny Boyce, Winnipeg's host to the world's rich and famous, has done something for the poor and anonymous that's worth... well, we'll see what it's worth.

Last month, Boyce, whose more formal title at city hall is manager, film and special events, looked after the needs of Justin Bieber and girlfriend singer Selena Gomez before and after her concert last month at the MTS Centre.

So, as a way of saying thanks, Canada's own prince of pop gave him a guitar Bieber had with him, autographed with a large, but simple "Justin Bieber."

Then, earlier this month, Boyce saw a news item about Bieber's appearance on the Tonight Show, where the 17-year-old told Jay Leno how, when he was growing up in Stratford, Ont., his family used the House of Blessing food bank. Which is why Bieber has decided to raise money for that food bank, and various others, through sales of his first Christmas album, Under the Mistletoe. Coincidentally, Bieber's recalling that time in his childhood came a day after the release of a snapshot study of Canadian hunger that showed, during one month this year, more than 850,000 people relied on food handouts.

All of which gave Boyce an idea.

He decided to donate the Bieber-autographed guitar to Winnipeg Harvest, which plans to put it up for auction starting today at 9 a.m. on eBay.

It'll be interesting to see what a Bieber-signed guitar -- which comes with a certificate of authenticity -- is worth to his fans. Or, more probably, the holiday-shopping parents of his fans. Actually, Winnipeg Harvest has already decided. They're starting with a reserved bid of $500 and letting the bidding stay open 10 days.

Or, if you're so inclined, you can look for the "buy it now" button and purchase it outright online for $7,500.

Which answers the question about what Harvest believes the Bieber guitar can bring. Just go www.BieberGuitar.com and bid away.

Do I hear $1,000?

Or, maybe instead we can start with three cheers for Kenny Boyce.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 15, 2011 B1

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