Just in time for Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month (November), Def Leppard‘s Phil Collen presented the Gerson Institute with a check for $20,000 to aid the organization’s cancer treatment efforts. Back in September the guitarist put his Jackson PC1 guitar named “Wings” up for auction on eBay after finishing Def Leppard’s Rock of Ages Tour.

Phil played the guitar, which was renamed to honor those have been fallen to cancer, throughout the Def Leppard tour and was more than happy to help as this is a cause close to his heart. The musician also lost his own father to the illness 8 years ago. Music store owner Jake Willoughby had asked Phil to help him raise money for cancer research after his mother passed from pancreatic cancer.

Customized with a new paint job, the guitar sold for $15,000. Phil donated $5,000 of his own money, bring the proceeds total to an even $20,000.

In Other Def Lepp News… Def Leppard also announced this week that they will be shacking up at the Joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas for a three week residency called “Viva Hysteria!”. The shows open on March 22 and run through April 10 on Fridays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. The band will play their greatest hits in addition to their whole 1987 album Hysteria. This will be one of the band’s most intimate performances as the venue has a capacity of about 4,000.  Guns N’ Roses is currently in the midst of their own residency at The Joint.

-Maria Bonello, WCBS-FM