Valentine Hall was transformed from cafeteria to a club-like setting with dimmed lights, hip-hop music and a runway for Educate!'s third annual date auction last Friday.

Educate! is a student-run non-profit that Amherst alum Eric Lustrum '07 created when still in high school and brought to the College in 2004. The group raises money to send qualified children in Rwanda and Uganda to school. So far the organization has provided for the education of about 47 students, covering tuition, school supplies, and health care. The club has approximately 20-25 members, at Amherst who work hard to put on many exciting fundraisers such as Assassins, Casino Night and the Dodgeball Tournament throughout the year.

Students crowded Valentine's Annex room and mezzanine to watch volunteers who strutted down a runway to auction themselves. Guests bid between $20 and $200 to win dates with their peers. Each potential date showed off individual skills in an effort to garner the highest bid. In the end, Association of Amherst Students Vice President Raj Borsellino received the highest bid, going for $200. This year's acution proved to be the group's most successful, raising approximately $1,765 to top the $800 earned in 2005 and the $1,700 earned last year.