The Oakville, Milton and District Real Estate Board (OMDREB) was thrilled recently when it raised more than $40,000 in an auction to raise funds for charity Habitat for Humanity. Three auction guests donated more than $13,500 each for invitations to a live taping of Two and a Half Men in Burbank, Calif. But before OMDREB could send their guests on the trip, former show star Charlie Sheen “had his famous meltdown and the rest was history,” says the board in a news release.

Through connections, an OMDREB member obtained an invitation to the taping. “It was the headliner of an already exciting auction and the buzz it created was enormous,” says the board.

Now OMDREB says it is “caught up in the meltdown ripple.” It says it wants to honour its commitments, both to the donors and to Habitat, and is “looking at options and hoping for a bit of a miracle. In the meantime, it’s interesting how one meltdown thousands of miles away can impact the lives of under-housed families in another country,” says OMDREB.

“The generosity of our gala guests was overwhelming and we greatly exceeded our goals for the year,” says 2010 board president Jeff Mahannah. “But we never anticipated that something happening so far away would impact our ability to make our donation to Habitat.”

Anne Swarbrick, executive director of Habitat for Humanity Halton, says the board “has been very supportive of Habitat’s work in the community and we appreciate the concern this situation has caused them.”

UPDATE: The Toronto Star reports that the winning bidders have now been offered tickets and a chance to meet Sheen at his upcoming stage show in Toronto.