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AUCTION: Bid for Arctic Monkey's sticks to help our troops
ARCTIC Monkeys drummer Matt Helders and boxing champ Ross Burkinshaw have joined forces for a charity auction to help South Yorkshire soldiers.
BID FOR THE STICKS! - See bottom of the page.
Both have donated autographed memorabilia and Star readers are invited to make a bid for the items. Money raised will go to The Third Battalion The Rifles Battle Group Wristband Appeal.
Ross is a Rifleman in the battalion, which recruits from South Yorkshire and is currently based at Sangin, one of the most dangerous areas of Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
The appeal aims to raise money to support those from the battle group who have been injured and the families of those killed. Former schoolmates Matt and Ross, who were both in the same year at Stocksbridge High, are hoping to raise hundreds of pounds for the cause.
Matt has given a pair of signed drumsticks, used on his recent tour of the UK, Europe and North America.
Handing them over to The Star, he said: "They are the sticks I've warmed up with for the last six months, including on the tour. They've still got some of my dirty hand sweat on them!"
Matt added: "It's become a daily thing on the news, hearing about people getting hurt or killed in Afghanistan.
"This appeal is good because the money is going straight towards helping soldiers from the battle group, including those from around here, rather than being muddled up as part of a larger fund."
English super flyweight champion Ross is donating the gloves he used when he unsuccessfully challenged for the British title against Lee Haskins in July.
Ross, some of whose closest friends are currently facing danger on a daily basis in Afghanistan, said: "I don't believe injured soldiers or soldiers' families receive enough support and I want to raise as much money and awareness as I can."
Twelve members of 3 Rifles Battle Group, which also includes soldiers from different regiments such as engineers and medics, have been killed since they were posted there in October, for a six-month tour of duty.
A number of others have suffered serious injuries.
The battalion hosted The Star at Sangin for a few days last month, when South Yorkshire soldiers told of their difficult task trying to bring stability to the war-torn town.
Bids for Matt's drumsticks and Ross's gloves can be made by emailing richard.marsden@thestar.co.uk or writing to Richard Marsden, The Star, York Street, Sheffield, S1 1PU. The deadline is February 29, 2010. Please include the value of your bid, your name, address, email address and telephone number.
Individual 3 Rifles wristbands are also available, priced 2.50, through Ross's website www.bossbox.co.uk
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