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Dublin has seen priceless artefacts before, of course. there was the Kremlin gold, the Chinese terracotta army, Caravaggio's paintings-and now Elvis Presley's suit. And if you thought the security was tight for the other exhibitions, you don't know The Elvis Presley Fan Club.
Graceland's communications manager Patsy Anderson personally carried
the studded suit in a case to Dublin for the fan club's charity fund
raiser. At auction it would fetch anything up to $250,000 "if I go
to the ladies room it goes with me, it sits right beside me on the
aeroplane and whenever there is a change-over at an airport, I have
got my foot on it" she says grimly.
"It is kept in a private storeroom at Graceland under special
climate and lighting controls so that it doesn't fade. Nobody
touches it without wearing gloves." Making it's glittery debut amid tight security at the Elvis Charity Spectacular on Sunday at Jury's Hotel, the rock 'n' roller's suit is the first item of clothing allowed out of his hallowed Graceland home and into another country. Patsy said of her decision to break Elvis protocol for the event: "I thought Elvis would have wanted me to do that, he was very generous and giving in his nature". If he could be told that this could raise money, he would want to make these children's lives better in this way. George Twamley, secretary of The "Official" Irish Elvis Presley Fan Club, said the exhibition of the suit would be a once-in-a-lifetime chance for many Elvis fans to glimpse one of the garments worn by The King. "That suit is the suit, there is not one like it anywhere in the world, it is the same thing as going to the Tower of London and someone taking the crown jewels out of their case, they are unobtainable". The proceeds from the fund raiser by the 800 member Irish fan club, will be given to the Friedreich's Ataxia Society of Ireland.
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