The countdown to the start of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, Lenovo, Worldwide Partner of the Olympic Torch Relay and the Olympic Games, has announced the final round of the online philanthropic auctions in India. The auction features limited-edition, notebook PCs inspired by the Lenovo-designed Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch, and signed by the Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan.

Starting from midnight of July 28, over the next ten days, a "Cloud of Promise"-themed notebook PC will be available for bidding at www.lenovohopefundauctions.com. The limited-edition notebook PC offers the Olympic fans the final opportunity to bid and own a part of Olympic history, with a personal touch by Saif Ali Khan. The auction site will be closed at midnight of August 8, 2008.

One hundred of the funds collected from the auctions will be distributed through the Lenovo Hope Fund to select philanthropies in bringing sports to communities of children, microfinance, and small- and medium-enterprise development

Over the past six months, a series of "Cloud of Promise"-themed notebook PCs have been available for bidding throughout ten-day periods. The auctions took place in: Japan, Australia, UK, France, USA, Hong Kong, Argentina, China, India, Brazil and Canada. In this final week leading up to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, 10 notebook PCs, one from each of the participating countries, are being auctioned to conclude the program. By the end of the philanthropic campaign, a total of 31 limited edition Lenovo notebook PCs will have been auctioned around the world.

"These auctions offer an exciting way to count down the last days before the start of the Olympic Games," says Deepak Advani, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Lenovo. "We are thrilled to offer fans the unique opportunity to own these one-of-a-kind Olympic torch-themed notebook PCs. Our technology helps bridge the physical gaps across different parts of the world, and Lenovo's goal is to do the same thing with social investments."

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