MONTEGO BAY, APRIL 19, 2012: The Palmyra Foundation announced today that the charity’s first ever Online Charity Auction is now “live” for virtual bidding on www.thepalmyrafoundation.com.

Luxury vacation stays in Hawaii, Bali, Miami, Colorado, Italy, Malta, Spain, Germany, Dubai, Thailand, Jamaica and many other sought after destinations are among the items auctioned off to raise money for children’s books.

Copyright: Palladium Hotel Group

“You can bid for 7 nights in a beautiful suite in the heart of Miami’s pulsing South Beach, a residence situated immediately on a ski run at one of Colorado’s premier winter resorts or stays in beautiful destinations such the romantic islands of Bali or Hawaii!”

Palmyra Foundation Board Member Ragni Trotta.

Lavish stays at several beautiful Jamaican resorts have also been donated to the Online Charity Auction, including the exclusive GoldenEye, Iberostar Grand Hotel, Secrets Resorts, Gran Palladium Hotel and Half Moon, a Rock Resort. Other auction items include roundtrip airline tickets donated by Delta Air Lines and Jetblue Airways, a Royal Caribbean cruise, concert tickets and meet & greet with the world’s most revered flutist Sir James Galway in Washington DC, a cricket bat signed by Freddie Flintoff, and much, much more. Said Trotta: “Please bid generously and help us by promoting the auction link to all your friends.”

The Palmyra Foundation invites companies and private individuals to donate services & products to the Online Charity Auction, which will be promoted to an international audience of more than 50,000 people via Press Releases, Social Media and email blasts.

Online bidding will continue until Friday May 4th, 2012, when The Palmyra Foundation is hosting a evening of fun & good music at Marguerites Almond Terrace/ Blue Beat Jazz & Blues Club in Montego Bay from 9:00 pm – 1:00 am. Supporters can enjoy a night of eclectic sounds from the 70s, 80s and 90’s, action food stations and passed hors d’oeuvres. Tickets cost JM$5,000 (US$60).

The Palmyra Foundation is one of only 13 programs in the world to be recognized by international courier company FedEx; one of the companies that sponsored the charity last year. In the words of United Way Worldwide Program Officer Alejandra Desmond, coordinator of the FedEx grant; “The work of the Palmyra Foundation was highlighted by FedEx as one of the successes for 2010/ 2011!”

The charity’s measurement of tangible results has been a key factor. Through The Palmyra Foundation Assessment, a basic test measuring the children’s reading, writing, math and science skills, a tremendous improvement of 20% has been measured among the children who receive books from the charity, with overall scores up from 69% to 89%.

Under the slogan “The future is bright, when you can read and write!” the charity’s goal is to raise money to donate book bags with a pack of crayons, a pencil, a colorful 300 page BrainQuest Workbook to 4,000+ to 4 and 5 year old Pre-K and Kindergarten children in September 2012.