Phoenix food bank receives nearly $1K from auction of Jodi Arias eyeglasses
Oct 1, 2014, 12:29 PM | Updated: 6:41 pm
PHOENIX — A Phoenix charity became the recipient of almost $1,000 from an online auction of the eyeglasses Jodi Arias wore during her trial.
The money went to St. Mary’s Food Bank of Phoenix on Wednesday. The receipt was posted on Arias’ artwork website.
The winning bid was worth $980. The auction opened at $400 on Sept. 12 and ended Sept. 24.
The nonprofit organization released a statement Wednesday:
“St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance is appreciative of the community support we receive that allows us to serve our mission of feeding the 1 in 5 Arizonans that struggle with hunger every day.”
Beverly Damore, president and CEO of St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance, told KTAR News’ Mac & Gaydos that the donation came in at 9 a.m. in the morning “from a gentleman who lives out of state.” She said there’s no immediate reason to treat it differently than any other donation.
She added that St. Mary’s never solicited the donation in question.
“The shame of it, and I’ve been saying it all afternoon, is that a whole lot of people [St. Mary’s employees] who should have been spending their days today figuring out how to feed hungry Arizonans, getting ready for our busiest time of the year, were completely derailed from that by somebody that, for whatever reason, decided to associate a very controversial cause with our name,” Damore said.
The St. Mary’s CEO was asked if her group is going to keep the donation or give it back.
“To whom would I give it back?” she replied, referring to the obscure source of the donation.
Meanwhile, jury selection continued Wednesday for a third day in Arias’ penalty-phase retrial.
