L.A.B singer Joel Shadbolt is to sell one of his most prized possessions to raise money for Mike King's I Am Hope mental health charity.
The 'Casanova' artist is auctioning off his beloved custom Harley Davidson as part of a unique auction starting from this weekend.
Over the past five years, Shadbolt has been collaborating with the team at East Coast Harley Davidson (ECHD) to transform a blank canvas into a L.A.B Custom Harley. The bike has been branded with a visual representation of L.A.B's debut album artwork, meticulously airbrushed by Anthony Brodie.
In a statement Shadbolt said the bike was a "head-turner".
"This bike has been my pride and joy. Working with the ECHD team to bring this vision to life has been an absolute pleasure. It's a head-turner, and the details are incredible. But the time has come to pass it on to someone who will cherish it as much as I have."
"Mike King and his team at I Am Hope do amazing things for Aotearoa. I'm stoked to be able to give back to this incredible charity through the auction."
Shadbolt has also revealed the winning bidder will also receive six fully signed and framed L.A.B vinyl collections, a personalised LABNZ number plate, and select L.A.B merchandise.
"We're incredibly grateful to Joel for his generosity," a statement from King, the founder of I Am Hope said.
"This auction is a fantastic way to raise awareness for mental health struggles and the support services we offer. Every dollar raised makes a difference."
News of the auction comes on the same day mental health advocate Jazz Thornton issued a strong challenge to the Prime Minister after the announcement of job cuts at the Ministry of Health's Suicide Prevention Office.
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey was blindsided by a Public Service Association (PSA) claim on Thursday the proposed cuts could result in the end of the office.
Speaking to AM on Friday, Voices for Hope co-founder Jazz Thornton said the cuts showed the Government was putting money and its financial plans ahead of people.
"Christopher Luxon, if you shut down the Suicide Prevention Office, you will be telling people that are struggling with suicidal thoughts all around this country that their lives are worth less than your tax cuts - point blank obvious, that's what you're saying," she said.
Shadbolt's TradeMe auction can be found here.
