For those interested in paying $3,700 for lunch with Sam Donaldson, the Kennedy School of Government's (KSG) ARCO Forum was the place to be last night.

Several hundred students, parents, alumni and other members of the KSG community mingled last night to the music of a three-piece band, and bid their bucks at the 10th Annual Summer Internship Fund Benefit Auction.

In the past, according to Jennifer W. Armini, assistant director of career services at KSG, the event has raised around $70,000 yearly for the internship fund, a student-run organization which sponsored internships for 31 KSG students last year.

"The idea is to allow Kennedy School students to take jobs which don't pay anything, which essentially means public service jobs," said Joseph S. Nye, KSG dean. "Since the mission of the school is to train students for public service, this is very important. Plus, it's a fun event."

Bidders participated from as far away as Washington, D.C., where, for the first time, the KSG's Washington office space was connected via telephone and video so that select alumni from the D.C. area could pledge their support.

Auctioneer Steve Fletcher, of Boston's Skinner auction house, emceed the event, which was organized by student volunteers, many of whom had received grants from the internship fund last summer.

Katie E. Walter, a second-year masters candidate in the public policy program, spent last summer with the Indiana Youth Institute.

"I put together a resource guide for Indiana schools to use to create community resource centers," she said.

Classmate Soren P. Andreasen used the grant to work as an unpaid political affairs officer for the United Nations Secretariat.

The evening's silent auction, lasting from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., featured items ranging from a signed copy of Barbara Bush's Millie's Book to an astrological reading to a lunchtime flight to Nantucket.

Up for bid at the live auction, which began at 7 p.m., were rarities including a basketball signed by the 1991-92 Boston Celtics, lunch with Bob Dole, a Goodwill Hunting script signed by Ben Affleck and a year of free course packets at the KSG.

"I'm here for the ball, but I don't think I'll get it," laughed Margaret Dodge, parent of KSG first-year Andy M. Dodge.

Greg Carr, who earned a masters in public policy degree in 1989, was the lucky recipient of the Donaldson lunch. Carr, who was chair of "a little computer company called Prodigy" following his time at the KSG, joked "I plan to use this opportunity as a platform to announce my run for the presidency."

The Kennedy School has promised to match the funds raised at the auction, up to $20,000.