Bidder snags William and Kate Pez for $13,000

(Reuters) - A fan from Connecticut has paid 8,200 pounds ($13,360) to win a charity auction of PEZ sweets dispensers in the likeness of Britain's Prince William and his fiancee Kate Middleton ahead of this month's royal wedding.


PEZ, the Austrian company whose candy dispensers are known around the world, said on Monday it will donate the money to the Starlight Children's Foundation, which cheers up seriously ill children and their families by granting wishes and organizing hospital events.

A spokeswoman said the company chose that charity because Middleton and her family supported it.

She gave no more details about the winning bidder other than to say his or her user profile was Frank841950.

The winning bid, one of 33 submitted, falls short of the record $32,000 paid for an Astronaut B model Pez dispenser in 2006.

(Reporting by Michael Shields, editing by Paul Casciato)