Last Saturday, organizers auctioned off 23 students, who each offered to go on a date with the highest bidder, and raised $3,000—more than half of their spring fundraising goal.

The success of event—which attracted 200 students—surprised even Lowell planners.

“I really was not concerned with the money. I wanted it to be a fun way to get the word out,” says Lauren H. Fifield ’06, who spearheaded the date auction. “It was so much more than we had hoped for.”

Fifield entered the auction herself and her decision literally paid off. She raked in $105 after stripping down to the lingerie and pillow fighting on stage with Annie R. Shawn ’07, who herself raised $220.

Emcee Will Luera, a member of Improv Boston, says he thought that antics of the auction participants helped entice the crowd to spend freely, noting the pillow fighting, the cowgirl dance of Emily F. Stevens ’05 and Kimberly A. Gould ’05, and the Zoolander-esque walk-off between Zachary A. Corker ’04 and Iain D. M. Bridges ’04.

“The date auction itself brings out great energy. Combine that with a great cause, and it makes contributing much easier,” says Luera. “It was easy to ride the momentum.”

Many of the bids came from the Lowell organizers themselves.

But Catherine C. “Casey” Roche ’06, the highest-selling individual at $285, says she did not mind this outcome.

“It’s a great thing. It shows their dedication to the project. If it takes a few people in between to get the price up, all the better if it’s going towards building people’s houses,” Roche says.

According to project chairs, another upcoming fundraiser will be a letter-writing party, which is planned for early May. Each attendee will have to solicit at least four potential donors to the Habitat project. A free slice of pizza will be given out for each contact.

A SCALE MODEL

While the Lowell organizers are focused on generating in-House support, they are also hopeful about the impact of this partnership on the larger Harvard community.

Corbin, who is also a Lowell SCR member, seems to welcome the challenge of setting an example for the other Houses, indicating that other PBHA service groups could establish similar partnerships with the Houses.

“I think Houses sometimes struggle with the desire to do a House-based public service project while realizing that there are numerous, ongoing public service groups on campus,” Corbin says. “This partnership between Lowell House and Harvard Habitat seems to me to be a good model of how Houses can become involved in a project that supports an ongoing effort.”

Adams House Master Judith S. Palfrey, for one, says that the level of success of the Lowell project could influence whether her own House will pursue such an activity.