AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry today kicked-off an online auction of two pairs of hand-crafted boots donated in a Rose Bowl wager with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Proceeds of the 10-day, eBay-sponsored auction will benefit the Texas Disaster Relief Fund, which assists families and communities recovering from last year’s devastating hurricanes.

Before the Texas Longhorns’ historic Rose Bowl victory on Jan. 4, Perry offered Schwarzenegger custom-made calf-skin boots by noted Texas boot maker Justin Boots in a friendly wager. Schwarzenegger matched with a pair of his own horn-back leather boots and the governors agreed they would be auctioned together to benefit the winning governor’s designated charity.

“When I brought Gov. Schwarzenegger’s boots home to Texas and held them up high at the victory rally at Royal Memorial Stadium, we celebrated as a state in a proud, thunderous moment. Side-by-side these two pairs of boots – representing a historic match-up that ended with a brightly lit University of Texas Tower in Austin – will make a nice showpiece for someone whose blood truly runs orange,” Perry said. “But more importantly, the proceeds of this auction will help the families along our coast who have shown the strength and resolve of true champions as they rebuild and recover from Hurricane Rita.”

Perry established the Texas Disaster Relief Fund in September 2005 to provide assistance to citizens and communities in need after the hurricanes. The Fund was designed to compliment rather than duplicate existing relief resources such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), insurance, and other non-profit groups. The Fund has provided about $2.6 million in relief to Texas communities.

“Just as the national champion Longhorns claimed a piece of history when they beat the two-time national champion Trojans in their home state, now someone out there has the chance to claim their own piece of history with these hand-made, signed boots,” Perry said.

The eBay auction is being managed by Auction Cause and goes live on Friday, April 28, at 11 a.m. central time and will close on Sunday, May 7. The highest bidder will have the opportunity to receive the boots personally from Gov. Perry. To bid, view photographs or learn more about the boots, visit eBay at www.ebay.com/rosebowlboots.