NY Yankees to auction WWE championship belt to benefit charity

by Marc Carig/The Star-Ledger

Wednesday September 09, 2009, 2:25 PM

Tim Farrell/The Star-LedgerThe Yankees hosted members of Camp Sundown for a game and carnival at Yankee Stadium earlier this season. The camp will benefit from the online auction of the team's WWE championship belt.

NEW YORK -- The Yankees are hosting an online auction to benefit Camp Sundown, a year-round camp in upstate New York for children suffering from Xeroderma Pigmentosum (XP), a rare genetic disease that causes the body to be unable to repair cells damaged by UV light.

The prize? The replica WWE championship belt that's passed around the clubhouse to that night's player of the game. The belt is about as authentic as it gets, a gift from the legendary wrestling Jerry "The King" Lawler (he perfected the piledriver, you know). As a bonus, the Yankees have signed the belt.

Anyway, the auction begins Wednesday night and runs through the remainder of the regular season. Bids can be made online at yankees.auction.mlb.com. The bidding will start at $500. If you want to check out the merchandise, the belt will be on display at the Guest Services booth at Gate 6.

Check it out. It's for a good cause. If you recall, the kids from Camp Sundown were down here earlier this season for a game and nighttime carnival at Yankee Stadium during HOPE Week. The work that Dan and Caren Mahar have done with the camp is truly remarkable. Help 'em out.