Most Eligible Bachelors Auction for Charity

As each bidder on love heard, "going once…going twice…sold," the Los Angeles-based More2Life Foundation earned a little more financial support.

At this nontraditional charity auction, local bachelorettes and bachelors, including City Councilman Howard Fishman, put themselves up for sale to raise money for the nonprofit that serves underprivileged youth.

Glamorously dressed bidders eyed the bachelors wearing red "For Sale" balloons like a platter of hors d'oeuvres. 

But "ultimately [the event] is about reaching out to the public and creating awareness for those that are less fortunate," said Veronica O. Torres from the Towers Company.

Proceeds from the auction on Thursday night benefited More2Life Foundation support programs for elementary school students in disadvantaged neighborhoods. 

Torres, along with Rashad Gordon, director of More2Life, and deputy director Cynthia Barrios, organized the event with "passion to make a difference."

The auction, hosted at Sangria, served not only as a charity event, but also as a chic cocktail affair. Sangria's complementary beverages loosened up the crowd of at least 70 people who were bidding on love.

A catwalk in the middle of the restaurant sparked intrigue. As the attractive men and women up for sale made their runway debuts, passersby on Pier Plaza stopped at the front of Sangria to watch the show.

Hopeful singles raised their hands to bid on dates with one of the 13 bachelors or four bachelorettes, some of who were entrepreneurs, executives, one model, an actor, and a hip-hop artist.

When asked to join the auction, Hermosa Beach bachelorette Noelle Lem simply couldn't resist participating in a charity event modeled after one of her favorite television shows, The Bachelorette, she said. 

But above all, "it's all for the kids," said bachelor Rhett Rosenbledt.

Even Councilman Fishman was willing "to put [himself] out there" for the good cause, he said as one of the bachelors for sale. When the opportunity arose, "how could I say no," he said. "It's for volunteering and charity."

The single men and women invited to auction themselves came straight from Torres' personal rolodex. Actor and bachelor David Teitelbaum was "humbled" by the experience.

"I wouldn't spend 10 cents on me," he said. "It makes me feel like a hero, raising money for these kids."

The auction raised $4,000 for the More2Life Foundation.