Teddy's U2 ticket goes on sale to help tsunami victims

Alice Armstrong is auctioning a U2 ticket to raise funds for homeless Sri Lankans. Picture / Alan Gibson

There was outrage yesterday as scalpers sold U2 tickets for thousands of dollars on the internet, but not everyone who bought extra was profiteering.

Mt Maunganui woman Alice Armstrong plans to use one of eight tickets she was lucky enough to get before they sold out in record time to raise money for tsunami victims and other underprivileged people in Sri Lanka.

The 31-year-old, who works for the aid organisation Habitat for Humanity, came up with the plan just a few hours before she joined the queue for tickets at Rebel Sport in Tauranga at 5.45am.

She took a white teddy bear with her, saying she was buying the ticket for him and inviting those who wanted his ticket to contact her and name their price.

"The teddy bear's decided to give away his ticket because he will be in Ireland for St Patrick's Day," she said.

Those who want the ticket should text their offers to Ms Armstrong with the word "ticket" and the price they are willing to pay.

Her cellphone number will be posted on the website www.surf2surf.com today.

Bidders will not be told what others have offered.

Instead, Ms Armstrong will give the ticket to the person who offers the highest price by Boxing Day, the anniversary of the tsunami that killed more than 200,000 people in Asia last year.

She will then donate the money to the Sri Lankan branch of Habitat for Humanity when she goes there in January. She said the money would be put into a fund for building houses for people in need.