Eliot House hosted a benefit auction last night which raised more than $3,000 for a Harvard Dining Services employee whose Cambridge apartment was destroyed in a fire last month.

A crowd of about 70 buyers crowded the dining hall, bidding for an unique assortment of goods that included knitting lessons, body massages and homemade cookies.

House Committee Chair Timothy J. Casey '98 said total proceeds exceeded preliminary estimates, which fell in the $1,000 range.

"We have definitely gone above expectation," he said.

The proceeds of the auction will go to Corinne Terrell, a 15-year Dining Services veteran whose Upton Street apartment complex was destroyed by an eight-alarm blaze on Jan. 30.

The Dutch-style sale, conducted by auctioneers Daniel J. Goor '97 and Roxanne D. Lanzot '99, even offered the opportunity to serve as dining hall checker for a meal.

The item drawing the most attention was a six-course meal which sold for $200.

"I am really glad that the Harvard community--and the community at large--has taken an interest in the auction," Casey said. "It has been a big success."

A simultaneous auction took place at Kirkland House, where Terrell also worked for a time.

Students also raised money by selling Valentine "candy-grams" throughout the Eliot auction.

Terrell, who has a 12-year-old daughter, had been living in her apartment with Jessie Harris, a retired 20-year veteran of Dining Services.

Eliot House Co-Master Kristine L. Forsgard praised students for their efforts on Terrell's behalf.

"I am absolutely delighted and impressed with the students," she said. "They are being generous beyond belief."