The 'Anthem for AIDS' campaign is aiming to set a Guinness World Record for the first charity single to achieve one million sales by download only.
The funds generated will go to UK-based Christian charity Mildmay Mission Hospital, which provides HIV and Aids care, and the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation in South Africa, with the hope to transform the lives of children and adults across the world.
'Prayer', the gospel-inspired song around which the campaign revolves, has been released on eBay for the charity today, Friday 14 September. It is sung by South African James Stewart and, in a real coup, features Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who voices the lyrics to one verse.
eBay is inviting its enormous customer base of approximately 120 million across the US and UK alone to take part in the challenge and download the song for just £1.99.
This is a 'first' for eBay in terms of hosting a digital download charity song and a dedicated eBay URL has been created.
For every download, participants will have the chance to win an all-expenses-paid holiday in South Africa. In addition, Mildmay has acquired a range of celebrity items and 'once in a lifetime' experiences for an online auction on eBay to raise further funds for the charity.
"This is a wonderful opportunity to put Aids back on the main agenda," says Claire Wheatcroft, Mildmay's head of communications. "We're calling on Christians everywhere to download the song and therefore reach out with compassion to their global brothers and sisters living with this disease."
If just one per cent of that audience downloads Prayer, the campaign will raise over two million pounds.
The two charities hope the song will "cut across boundaries and break a few records", all in response to the global HIV pandemic.
"Being the son of a preacher man and going to a church school brought me in constant exposure to hymns, some of which really stuck with me so I often find myself drawn into gospel chords when at the piano," says Stewart, who has offered his services to the campaign for free.
To Download 'Prayer' please visit:
In UK: www.ebay.co.uk/anthemforaids
In USA: www.ebay.com/anthemforaids
