Land Mine Victims Hit by McCartney Divorce (Paul pulls out of fundraiser) [View All]

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT/Reuters: Land Mine Victims Hit by McCartney Divorce
By REUTERS
Published: August 24, 2006

LONDON (Reuters) - Former Beatle Paul McCartney has pulled out of a Los Angeles fundraiser for land mine victims because of his impending divorce from wife Heather Mills, the charity said on Thursday.

Adopt-A-Minefield (UK), the British branch of the land mine charity which has both McCartney and Mills as patrons, said the annual event, due to have been on October 11, had been canceled.

In 2005, the event hosted by the couple raised a record $3 million, but the director of the charity played down media reports that McCartney would donate a similar sum to make up for his withdrawal....

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"Paul and Heather have developed the LA gala, our most successful fundraising event, and as it is an event they both hosted, given their separation Paul doesn't feel he can perform this year,'' (Keith Kelly, director of the British branch of the charity) told Reuters.

Kelly said that, as well as performing, McCartney attracted other major acts to the gala each year, such as Neil Young.

"In the time since Heather and Paul separated, we haven't been able to secure people of similar caliber and the event has had to be canceled."...

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/arts/entertainment-mccartney-charity-divorce.html