First Sale of 2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid Generated $47,500 ay

In a tent filled with celebrities, the 2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid showed some star power of its own, raising $47,500 in a live auction at the Heal the Bay "Bring Back the Beach" dinner.

Mercury donated a 2006 Mariner Hybrid SUV to Heal the Bay, the Santa Monica-based environmental group dedicated to improving water quality along California's coastline. The Mariner Hybrid was the premier auction item at the group's annual "Bring Back the Beach" dinner June 2, held adjacent to the sand at Santa Monica Beach.

The winning bidder was Ardie Tavangarian, owner of ARYA, an architecture, construction, and project management firm in West Los Angeles. He purchased the Mariner Hybrid for his Senior Project Manager, Dean VanRossen to use as a company car.

"Dean does the most driving in our office, so it makes sense for him to have a car that gets good gas mileage," said Tavangarian. "The Mariner Hybrid is sharp looking, and has a lot of room, so it's a smart buy. I'm very happy to support Heal the Bay and Kelly Meyer (who was honored by Heal the Bay for her work on its behalf)."

The dinner was filled with celebrities from the world of entertainment, including: Julia Louis-Dreyfus of 'Seinfeld' fame (and a Heal the Bay board member); director Garry Marshall, who emceed the festivities; actor/comedian Martin Short; supermodel Cindy Crawford; actor Tobey Maguire (Spider-Man, Seabiscuit); actress Wendie Malick (Just Shoot Me, Jake in Progress); Grammy Award winner Kenny G; actress Amy Smart (Butterfly Effect, Road Trip) and actor/comedian Hal Sparks (Queer As Folk, Talk Soup), who showed off the Mariner Hybrid and encouraged the bidding throughout the auction. The evening also featured performances by musical acts Hootie & the Blowfish, The Bangles, and Bonnie McKee.

The Heal the Bay auction marked the first public sale of a Mercury Mariner Hybrid. Last year, one of the first Ford Escape Hybrids was also sold at the Heal the Bay dinner. Klaus and Jami Heidegger, longtime Heal the Bay supporters, bid $40,000 to win the "green" SUV.