The fifth annual New York Comedy Festival’s Stand Up for Heroes gala this week featured stellar comedians like Ricky Gervais, Seth Meyers and Jon Stewart onstage at the Beacon Theater. But it was Bruce Springsteen who stole the show when he hand delivered his guitar, harmonica and plaid shirt to the highest bidder in the audience who won it for $160,000 to benefit US veterans and their caregivers.
It was then announced that the winning bidder was giving the guitar to one of the uniformed servicemen at the show, Andrew Kinard, who lost his legs in Iraq and spoke movingly onstage earlier in the evening.
The event is presented by the Bob Woodruff Foundation and brings to New York 140 veterans and their families, giving them the opportunity to rub elbows with show biz stars and take home more than $25,000 in clothes and accessories.
In addition to ticket sales, audience members at the red carpet gala Nov. 9 pledged nearly $400,000 for the soldier-focused charity.
(READ the story in the Rolling Stone)