What do you do when you work at a factory that's been shutdown due to a weak economy? Well, you can sit around and mope. Or you can volunteer your time and skills. Following their earlier art project to benefit cancer research, 59 craftsmen from the Bentley factory in Crewe have opted once again for the latter, and this is the result.

Named Luke, this retired London Routemaster double-decker bus was acquired by St Luke's hospice in Winsford, England, earlier this year. The idea was to transform it into a rolling vehicle for community service and public awareness. The Bentley workers put in some 2000 man-hours of their own free time to bring it to fruition, and the results look very impressive indeed. But don't take our word for it: see for yourself in the image gallery below.

Would you like to own a unique piece of privately commissioned artwork? Now is your chance. The Museum of Modern Art in New York is offering up for sale limited quantities of collectible works.

Entrepreneur and art collector, Peter Norton is known not only for his genius in creating computer software but for commissioning art and for his philanthropy. Every year since 1988 he has asked artists whose work he collects to create unique pieces to be sent as gifts to his family and friends. This year he is donating various pieces to be sold to the public through MoMA with all proceeds to go to P.S. 1. For those who are not familiar with P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center it is one of the oldest and largest non-profit art institutions in the United States. It is an exhibition space and devotes its resources to displaying experimental contemporary art.

Some of the artworks featured include:
Untitled (Condoms), Daniel Martinez, 1990
Freedom, a Fable: A Curious Interpretation of the Wit of a Negress in Troubled Times, Kara Walker, 1997
Untitled (Dollhouse), Yinka Shonibare, 2002
Untitled (Music Box), Christian Marclay, 2005 (shown above)

Certain items can be bought individually with prices ranging from $150 to $1,000 dollars, while other pieces must be purchased as a complete MoMA set" for $6,200. To see a samples of the various works in person, head to the bookstore on the second floor of the museum, otherwise the works can be viewed and ordered online.

Partnering with The Elton John AIDS Foundation, Jimmy Choo has launched Project PEP, a line of bold, punk rock accessories whose sales benefit the Simelela Rape Center in Cape Town, South Africa. The collection comprises 11 items -- bags, shoes, a cuff, and mobile accessories -- that range in price from $85 - $995. The shoe pictured, the PEP LOOP, is $975. Take a look at the gallery for a few more items from the collection.

The annual Moth Gala is one of our favorite events in New York. In a world drawn impersonal by tweets and newsfeeds, it's refreshing to know that there are still people out there promoting the art of storytelling. There's nothing quite like having your five minutes on stage, connecting with a live audience with an original yarn. Garrison Keillor and Jonathan Ames co-hosted the 2009 Moth ball held Tuesday night at Capitale, and awarded Actor Anna Deavere Smith for her groundbreaking reinvention of theater. The theme of the night was the Black and White Ball, and indeed several Truman Capotes floated throughout the massive Beaux Arts ballroom, formerly home to the Bowery Savings Bank.

Keillor joked to the audience that the Moth was started by people not from here. New Yorkers never give each other the opportunity to talk, unlike the rest of the country where "people were brought up to yield." The Moth is an incredible privilege for writers everywhere who can claim those five uninterrupted minutes on stage. The "Prairie Home Companion" host told his own story of having recently suffered a mild stroke in Minnesota, prompted by a Jesus-preaching masseuse. He drove to the ER to where patients complained of neck moles, while the polite Midwesterner waited in line until his turn came, and calmly told the nurse, "I'm having a stroke." Keillor knew his audience well, and acknowledged that during this story, New Yorkers, unable to appreciate a dramatic pause, would have thought of three stories on their own: a major stroke, a NYC ER room trumping a St. Paul one, or even just reading a story in the NYT Magazine about strokes. So true.

Fortunately the Moth has found a way to make storytelling vivid and alive, even for impatient New Yorkers. The highlight of the night was the finale, a round of one minute stories from ten winners of recent Moth Grandslams contests.

We asked Mr. Keillor why he has supported the Moth for so many years. "It really appeals to me. It's a grassroots organization that sprang up." he told us. "Now I think it's on the verge of tremendous success. It makes me very, very happy."

And Keillor has a new reason to love the Moth, as they've recently ventured into his radio medium. "It's a grassroots show, operating under very, very simple rules," he said, "so it has a beautiful democratic ethos about it which I think is very, very appealing." Audiences nationwide have caught the Moth fever, as the show is now broadcast on a record-breaking 205 stations after only three months. Today the Moth reaches millions of people across the country.

Click here for more information on how you can support the Moth.

Diehard enthusiasts and collectors of famed Italian watch brand Panerai, known as the Paneristi, came together recently to raise money for those less fortunate. The global members of enthusiast site Paneristi.com celebrated the online forum's 10th anniversary with an event at artist and Panerai collector Eng Tay's Tribeca studio. Tay (above) created a special series of images showing an outstanding collection of vintage and classic Panerai timepieces along with his artwork for a calendar celebrating Paneristi.com's 10th anniversary. All profits from the limited edition $300 calendar are being donated to The Mulliganeers, a children's charity created by Paneristi.com moderator and founder Paddy Conway. Most copies of the collector's item sold out within two weeks but there a few left; you can contact Paddy@CotswoldGardens.com for info. on ordering.

Do only the very wealthy pay retail these days? Seems like it. With so many discount shopping sites that sell high-end items, mere mortals can get said high-end items at low(er)-end prices. But is is there room for yet one more of these sites? LuxGoddess.com is hoping so. It recently joined the likes of Bluefly, ShopBop, and Gilt to offer upscale items at reduced prices. Here's what makes LuxGoddess different, however: It donates 10% of its proceeds to Bright Pink, a national nonprofit that provides education and support to young women who are at high risk for breast and ovarian cancer.

Calling itself "the premier site for today's fashion trendsetters looking for great deals on their favorite designer brands," the site carries well-known brands, with a number of items pulled from online stores, and covers the standard categories of apparel, shoes, beauty, and accessories. There's also a sale rack, which is a user's personal sale rack, based on her size and brand preferences.

Interested in raising a little ruckus for a good cause on the night before Halloween? On Friday October 30, 2009 a group of young professional philanthropists known as "Future of Hope" will join City of Hope's fight against women's cancers by hosting the Halloween-themed benefit A Night of Mischief at Marquee in New York City. Appearances will include cast members from the hit television series Gossip Girl and The City and cameras from the CW television network will be on hand filming Tinsley Mortimer for her new CW reality series Empire State. This new reality show will air this winter chronicling Tinsley's travels, adventures and causes.

The evening will be dedicated in loving memory of Amy Salm who lost her battle with cancer this year. Tickets are $99 in advance and $120 at the door based on availability. Guests are asked to dress in costume. The night features an open bar with sponsors such as Innocente Tequila, Three Olives Vodka and Manhattan Beer Company. A dessert bar to satisfy even the sweetest tooth comes compliments of the Cupcake Stop and Milk & Cookies Bakery. There will also be a live raffle with over 30 prizes including a Valentino handbag, roundtrip jetBlue Airways tickets, Equinox gym membership, private dinner prepared by Chef Rob Hesse of Hamptons hotspot Georgica, and Knicks, Rangers, and Jets tickets.

I haven't heard much lately about Charlize Theron, but she made it back into this news this past week with her part in the OneXOne charity event on October 22 in San Francisco, where she took the stage to auction off a prize that included a two-week trip to her native South Africa to watch soccer's World Cup in summer 2010, a safari, and a meet-and-greet with Nelson Mandela. The winning bidder, a woman, received an extra item for her $140,000 donation -- a kiss with Theron, who had tossed in the offer of a kiss to increase bidding when the offers plateaued at $37,000.

Theron was at the event to help raise money for the Charlize Theron African Outreach Project, which is teaming with the OneXOne Foundation to bring soccer fields and clean water to the children of South Africa by 2010, in time for the World Cup. Theron is in a long-term relationship with actor Stuart Townsend. "My boyfriend is not here tonight," she joked during the auction.

Everybody is selling their treasures to make money these days, even the American Red Cross. The NY Times reports that the Red Cross is selling more than 150 items including a Cartier clock lamp, original Christmas Seals and other archival materials. The organization has had to let go of employees and take other cost cutting measures one of which is closing its Lorton, Virginia warehouse and outsourcing storage and archival operations. The organization is going to make more money through the closing of the warehouse (around $3 million) than the auction (around $200,000). The sales will done with Heritage Auctions online through February. Other pieces of memorabilia from the warehouse, including paintings by Norman Rockwell will stay with the Red Cross while uniforms, flags and some other memorabilia will be sent to the National Archives.

Usually meals at Mount Everest's base camp aren't known for their luxury but that's not stopping Laura King, owner of Kings Fine Foods, who is doing a fundraising climb on the famously dangerous mountain. According to Wales Online she organized the mountain challenge to raise money for adults with severe learning difficulties and donated luxury foods as an extra incentive for the team. She and her team are expected to reach Mount Everest Base Camp on October 15 when, at an altitude of 17,600 feet they will dine on a luxurious breakfast developed by former Ritz chef John Williams that will include a cup of Amadei hot chocolate, followed by wild Scottish smoked salmon served with scrambled eggs, white truffle butter and a Beluga caviar garnish. The team will toast with flutes of Golden Star sparkling white tea, a non-alcoholic drink. She has said that if this expedition is successful she will try to arrange a trip up Everest with celebrity chefs next year to attempt to break the record for the highest dinner party in the world.

The Black Eyed Peas have been unstoppable on the charts this summer and now the popular band is going for a unique pair of world records. The band is holding a charity auction on eBay to win the chance to join them as they try to set two records: the highest ever live performance and recorded track. Those who win will fly along with a guest on Richard Branson's V Australia from Los Angeles to Australia where they will then join a special Melbourne to Perth flight with the band. Winners will meet the band, watch them record and then the remainder of the flight becomes a Mile High Karaoke Party with the band. Winners will also attend the October 10 Black Eyed Peas concert in Perth and get a second band meet and greet. Roundtrip air and hotels are included but winner needs to get themselves to L.A. for the start of the package. Best of all , 100 percent of the proceeds benefit children's health research through the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research in Australia.

[via Just Jared]

Here is a watch for women to support women. The popular Gucci Twirl watch has just been made even more a watch for women by creating a special edition Gucci Twirl F.F.A.W.N. timepiece. FFAWN is the Foundation For the Advancement of Women, and for each of these watches that are sold, Gucci will give $100 to the foundation.

Oddly enough Gucci combines its giving to the foundation with the creation of a phantom watch - meaning it is in all black. This has been a popular style for men's watches, but I only now am seeing it applied to women's watches of this caliber. The timepiece is in black stainless steel with a spinning (twirling) watch face dial. The face is also in all black and surrounded by 34 black diamonds. The watch movement is a Swiss quartz. The caseback of the watch reads "Gucci for F.F.A.W.N." An interesting interpretation of the iconic looking timepiece.

Just what FFAWN does is a bit of a mystery to me. It was started by singer Mary J. Blige to help women reach their potential. The foundation gives grants and scholarships and has programs for women to help improve their self esteem and achieve various levels of personal and professional development. The Gucci for FFAWN Twirl watch retails for $1,895.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

I'm sure a list of the world's wealthiest is a fluctuating compendium these days making a list of donors a nice change of pace from Forbes. Of course most of these 'Billion Dollar Donors' would most likely make the cut for some of the nation's most affluent individuals as well but here their philanthropic tendencies are the focus of attention. These fourteen people, out of 793 billionaires worldwide, have actually donated, not just pledged, over $1 billion total. Here are some of the world's most generous givers:

1 Bill Gates, $28 billion donated.
2 George Soros, $7.2 billion
3 Gordon Moore (shown at right), $6.8 billion
4 Warren Buffett, $6.7 billion
5 Eli Broad, $2 billion
6 James Stowers, $1.9 billion
7 Herbert and Marion Sandler, $1.5 billion
8 Michael Bloomberg, $1.5 billion
9 Li Ka-shing, $1.37 billion
10 Dietmar Hopp, $1.25 billion
11 Michael Dell $1.2 billion
12 Klaus Tschira, $1.1 billion
13 Stephen Schmidheiny $1 billion
14 Ted Turner, $1 billion

Anybody you are surprised didn't make the list?

Art may not be selling as it did a year and a half ago, but hopefully even strapped collectors will open their wallets for a good cause. The Yvon Lambert Gallery in Paris has pulled together work from 1,000 artists to be sold at a fundraiser to combat the spread of AIDS. Among the artists participating are heavy hitters, such as Olafur Eliasson, Jonathan Monk, Christian Marday, Rafael Lozano-Hammer, Sophie Calle and Jo Baer.

But, there are two aspects of the event that make it unique.

First, prices will be standardized. Every piece offered in the two-day sale will be set at €100 (except sculpture, which will be €300). Also, collectors won't know whose work they'll receive until they pay up. The lucky could wind up with amazing pieces worth far more than they paid ... extending the good feeling that comes with supporting a worthy charity.

[Photo of Olafur Eliasson's New York waterfall by epicharmus via Flickr]