John Varvatos Stuart House fundraiser tally increases to $950,000

Thanks to an online auction that allowed bidding to continue long after the music had faded, the amount raised by last month’s John Varvatos Stuart House fundraiser hosted by honorary co-chairs Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner has topped $950,000 -- the largest amount in the annual event’s decade-long history.

The tally stood at an already-impressive $830,000 the day after the March 10 charity event and raised primarily through a spirited live auction. Pepping up the atmosphere was a live performance by Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. But after the benefit was over, it was augmented by an additional $120,000 raised through the silent auction via CharityBuzz.com that continued to accept bids for an additional 11 days. Among the “items” auctioned were a “Modern Family” set visit, lunch with Rachel Zoe and husband Rodger Berman, dinner with supermodel Cindy Crawford and husband Rande Gerber, and a golf outing with Samuel L. Jackson.

That brings the total raised by the annual benefit, which takes place in a tent outside the menswear designer’s 8800 Melrose Avenue boutique in West Hollywood, to more than $3.62 million over the last 10 years. The funds benefit the Stuart House, a program created by the Rape Treatment Center at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center to serve the special needs of sexually abused children.

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