Affleck urges continued Gulf Coast relief
(AP)
Updated: 2005-10-14 11:20

Six weeks after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, Ben Affleck is urging continued contributions to the relief effort. The actor has donated several items — including a "Good Will Hunting" script he and Matt Damon signed — to an online charity auction by Charity Folks and Citizens Helping Heroes.

"I think one of the dangers of great tragedies like this is, once they fall away from the 24-hour news cycle, there's a tendency to think, `Well that's dealt with,'" Affleck told The Associated Press by phone Thursday.

"It's not something that can be ameliorated with the one telethon we did the month afterward. It's a continuing process."

Affleck said he got involved with the auction, which began Wednesday and ends Oct. 27, after he received a call from former President Clinton's office. Proceeds will benefit the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund and the National Guard Family Program.

"One of the ways that I could contribute was to shill some memorabilia, and the other was to talk to you and try to get people to pay attention to this auction," Affleck said.

The auction also includes items from Jessica Simpson, Al Pacino, The Rolling Stones, Sting, Maroon 5, Derek Jeter and others.

The 33-year-old Affleck has shown political interest in the past, including an appearance at last year's Democratic National Convention.

Does the Katrina aftermath inspire him further to run for office?

"I'm interested in politics and like to be involved with them, and this is all I'm doing right now," he said. "But if you want to be my campaign manager, you come over here and we'll talk about it."

Affleck was to begin filming "Smokin' Aces" in Lake Tahoe, Nev., on Friday. The movie, about a mob informant, also stars Jeremy Piven, Andy Garcia and Ray Liotta.

Damon and Affleck won a screenwriting Oscar for 1997's "Good Will Hunting."