TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Public radio listeners can go online to support their favorite public radio programming as Alabama Public Radio/WUAL participates in the first-ever NPR Online Auction Sept. 14-21.

A pilot project with 25 NPR member stations, the auction will tap new revenue streams without interrupting programming and involve the community in the public radio experience. The goal is to raise over $1 million to be shared equally among the stations.

The event will allow Alabama Public Radio’s listeners, and listeners nationwide, to bid on a variety of items, including:

• Trips to Washington, D.C., to watch live broadcasts of NPR's Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Talk of the Nation, and Weekend Edition Saturday and Sunday
• Travel packages to dozens of destinations worldwide, including Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, the Caribbean, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico
• A swimming pool
• Cruises, paragliding and whitewater rafting
• Cooking and art lessons
• A backstage tour of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City
• A chance to meet Fresh Air host Terry Gross and tour the show's studios, and
• A trip to Canada to go polar bear-watching.

The auction features hundreds of distinctive items contributed by the participating stations and its staff, National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Radio International (PRI), and local and national partners. Local items feature artwork by acclaimed Alabama artist Evan Wilson and a concert by his brother, renowned flutist Ransom Wilson in addition to football memorabilia and golf outings. At http://nprauction.org participants can sample all the items up for bid and register to bid.

“The NPR Online Auction is an exciting new way to invite our listeners to connect with Alabama Public Radio, its personalities and its programming,” said Roger Duvall, APR station manager. “And the best news is that the online venue allows listeners to support their favorite shows at their own convenience, without interrupting the programs they love.”

Participating NPR member stations include:

1. WGBH, Boston
2. KWMU, St. Louis
3. KUER, Salt Lake City
4. KNAU, Flagstaff, Ariz.
5. New Hampshire Public Radio, Concord, N.H.
6. KCUR, Kansas City, Mo.
7. KSKA, Anchorage, Alaska
8. WFYI, Indianapolis
9. WNPR, Hartford, Conn.
10. WXXI, Rochester, N.Y.
11. Wyoming Public Radio, Laramie, Wyo.
12. KLRE & KUAR, Little Rock, Ark.
13. WKNO, Memphis, Tenn.
14. Alabama Public Radio, Tuscaloosa, Ala.
15. WCBE, Columbus, Ohio
16. WCAI & WNAN, The Cape and Islands, Mass.
17. KAZU, Pacific Grove, Calif.
18. WRVO, Oswego, N.Y.
19. WUOT , Knoxville, Tenn.
20. KCBX, San Luis Obispo, Calif.
21. WFIT, Melbourne, Fla.
22. Northeast Indiana Public Radio, Fort Wayne, Ind.
23. WOI, Ames, Iowa
24. WMUK, Kalamazoo, Mich.
25. WMRA, Harrisonburg, Va.

For more information about the auction or Alabama Public Radio, contact Roger Duvall at 205/348-6646 or RDuvall@apr.org.