With a nervous smile, Kelly Jeseritz bravely put herself up first on the auction block.

“I’m here on a bet. Some guys and I are betting to see who will get the most money,” said Jeseritz, freshman in family and consumer science education.

Twenty-nine students put themselves up for bids at a date auction in support of the United Way in the Wallace-Wilson Commons Wednesday evening.

While the money earned goes to charity, many students in the crowd of about 125 people just came to have a good time.

“We want to see the sexy men,” said Yasmin Williams, freshman in English.

Some students came to see their friends go on the auction block.

“I’m supporting my boys,” said Rusty Smith, freshman in construction engineering. “Guys from my floor are up there.”

The bidding may have started out slowly, but after several people were auctioned, the numbers kept getting higher. The minimum bid was $3, but the highest bid was $107.

Matt Lischer, freshman in pre-journalism, bid $16 for a date with a girl from his sister floor.

“It was depressing to watch everyone go for $4,” he said.

Lischer said he didn’t know what they’ll do on their date. “I’ll do whatever she wants to do,” he said.

Megan Shaw, freshman in pre-business, helped organize the auction, along with Rachel Hafner, freshman in English, and Tina Swanson, freshman in pre-architecture.

The women organized a similar date auction last semester to raise money for a girl whose parents died in a fire. That auction raised over $400, and they decided to try it again.

“It’s a fun, easy way to make money,” Shaw said.

She said one of the more difficult parts of the auctions was finding people to be auctioned. “We got people to volunteer, which was quite a chore,” she said.

Shaw said they contacted United Way, and the organization was receptive to the auction.

“They really, really liked the idea,” she said. “They thought it could be an annual event.”