Wank-a-thon Update

Remember I posted a topic a story about Britain's first Wank-a-thon the other week ( http://robmacca.blogspot.com/2006/07/britains-first-wank-thon.html )
Well, it happened a few days ago and here is a press story from www.24dash.com :

More than 150 people pleasured themselves for charity in the UK's first-ever 'Masturbate-a-thon' in London.

Twenty-four-year-old Daniel Gardner, from Bournemouth, set a new European record by performing for a staggering seven-and-a-half hours.

One woman claimed she had 49 orgasms in Saturday's controversial event which raised money for the Terrence Higgins Trust and sexual reproductive health agency Marie Stopes International.

Participants from all over the UK queued outside a converted photographic studio in Clerkenwell, central London, to take part.
Channel 4's cameras filmed the day for a series of 'provocative and mischievous' programmes, which will include the 'Masturbate-a-thon'.

Event organiser Tony Kerridge, from Marie Stopes International, said the unique day had been a big success, with 154 people attending.
He said: "There have been six similar events held in America and the most they attracted to one event was 125.

"It was a very well natured event and there were no incidents or contraventions of the rules – it was about solo masturbation in a communal space.

"It was a pretty bizarre but amazing day. It was about raising awareness and dispelling the shame and taboos that persist around masturbation and creating safer sex strategies."

He said: "We had all sexualities – gay, straight, bi, transgender, men and women. It was dominated by men – 85% were men and we also had women – one of the whom was aged 70!

"It was a self defining group of people who were going to do something like this and I have never seen people take their clothes off so quickly."

Mr Kerridge said Daniel Gardner, a heterosexual, had achieved the European record.
Charity 'Masturbate-a-thons' have taken place in San Francisco but this was the first event of its kind in Europe.

Mr Kerridge said: "Daniel was openly filmed by Channel 4 so he will be featured in the documentary. I think Daniel broke the stereotypes and he was also the longest performer."

Mr Kerridge added: "We wanted to get the public talking about masturbation as one of several alternatives to penetrative sex.

"We took about £1,500 people on the door but we won't know for a while how much money has been raised through the sponsorship of each participant."