To save the landmark, Hugh Hefner held a charity event at the Playboy Mansion. Individual letters of the Hollywood sign were ceremoniously “auctioned off” for $27,700 per letter. A colorful mishmash of celebrities participated in the auction: Alice Cooper “bought” an “O”, Gene Autry bought an “L,” and Andy Williams sponsored the “W.”
Thanks to the help of these and other donors, the sign was reworked.