'The Contender' Desks of Sylvester Stallone, Sugar Ray Leonard and Jackie Kallen Up for Bid

THOMASVILLE, N.C., May 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Thomasville has listed the desks of Sylvester Stallone, Sugar Ray Leonard and Jackie Kallen on eBay.com in hopes of raising money for charitable organizations important to each celebrity. The desks are from the set of NBC's hit show "The Contender." The show will air its final fight live from Las Vegas tonight on NBC. Interested parties can bid on all three desks on http://www.ebay.com. The auctions end on Monday, May 30, 2005. 

100% of the proceeds from the auction will benefit three organizations personally selected by "The Contender" stars. Mr. Stallone has chosen "Heart of a Child," an organization dedicated to funding research to find the root causes of congenital heart defects, and to improve the care and treatment of children born with these defects to enable them to lead healthy and meaningful lives. Mr. Leonard has chosen "Boys and Girls Clubs of America," an organization dedicated to inspiring and enabling all young people, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens. Mrs. Kallen has chosen "The American Heart Association," a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to reduce disability and death from cardiovascular diseases and stroke. 

Thomasville was the exclusive furniture provider for the offices of Stallone, Leonard and Kallen as well as the executive living suite. "We immediately thought of Thomasville because two of their most famous collections were inspired by strong male personalities," said Mark Burnett, executive producer for "The Contender." "Furnishing Sly, Ray and Jackie's offices with Thomasville provided them with the notable style they are accustomed to while exposing the fighters to an aspirational lifestyle." 

"Thomasville's integration on 'The Contender' shows the depth in which our product line extends," said Tilley. "We have been thrilled to be a part of the show and, in turn, give back to three very important charitable organizations." 

Thomasville is recognized worldwide as an industry leader in distinctive product styling and superb craftsmanship. With more than 150 retail stores in its growing network, Thomasville is dedicated to ensuring a truly great retail store experience where inspiring product exceeds the consumer's needs. Thomasville is a subsidiary of Furniture Brands International (NYSE: FBN). For more information about Thomasville, please call 1-800-225-0265 or visit http://www.thomasville.com. Every great room starts with an adjective. What's yours?

SOURCE Thomasville Web Site: http://www.thomasville.com  http://www.ebay.com