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Has the Fake Grey's Wedding Registry Raised Cash?

Mon., May. 4, 2009 3:49 PM PDT by Leslie Gornstein

ABC/CRAIG SJODIN

The Grey's Anatomy wedding has me curious: Is their fake wedding registry on the Knot getting any response from people in real life?
—GreyLife, Oregon

The McDreamy McWedding is in fact spurring real donations to real charities, via the gift registry on the Knot website. In honor of the fictional wedding between Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Derek (Patrick Dempsey), fans are encouraged to donate to one of three charities close to the hearts of the Grey's characters, including brain-disease research.

One Grey's character has already plunked down some cash.

Care to guess who?

Izzie, of course. Head over to this brain-research charity site, operated by the American Academy of Neurology, and look at the wall of floating brains. Each represents a donation to the foundation. See the brain with stars all over it? That's Izzie's. ("Congratulations Mer!" the accompanying comment reads. "I am so happy that you and Derek are finally getting married!" So, I assume, are Parkinson's disease researchers.)

I hear that show producers, not Katherine Heigl, arranged that donation, but it's sweet nonetheless.

The donations so far are modest—search the brain wall at the site above, and you can see that a handful of people have donated in honor of the TV couple. But to the charities, the uptick is also significant.

"We're not getting tons of money," says Joyce Weidler, managing director of the American Skin Association, another of the three chosen charities. "But we are getting donations." Just last week, Weidler estimates, six people donated to the association because of the Grey's wedding registry.

The Alzheimer's Association, the third charity, also tells me it is getting more money because of Grey's as well, though it has yet to tally hard numbers. You can make your own McDonation by heading to the Knot registry.
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