826 Seattle was thrilled today to learn that two custom-made and hand-painted bass guitars were sold at auction for $8,501 each, with all the proceeds going to the non-profit tutoring and writing center.

Jeff Ament, bassist for Pearl Jam, asked his favorite guitar maker, Mike Lull, to build the guitars, then Ament painted them. They were each valued at $5,500. Below is the guitar Ament called “Green Noise.”

The guitars were auctioned through the CharityBuzz website. As soon as the auction ended this afternoon, 826 Seattle sent out this tweet:

THANK YOU to everyone who helped support today’s auction. You’re ALL rockstars to us. Final bids? $17,000. Holy. Moly. We are SO GRATEFUL.

826 Seattle later told us each guitar sold for $8,501, for a total of $17,002.

Woodland Park Zoo is offering some unique holiday experiences at its annual Zookeepers’ Holiday Silent Auction on Friday Nov. 18: behind-the-scenes animal tours (like watching an elephant take a bath), animal feedings, photos with a raptor, or meeting an orangutan up close.

Photo by Ryan Hawk, Woodland Park Zoo.

The auction is hosted by the Puget Sound Chapter of the American Association of Zoo Keepers.

Guaranteed bidding, preview, lunch and a bake sale is from 12-2 p.m. Silent auction, dinner, bake sale, and wine and beer cash bar are from 4-8 p.m. in the zoo’s Education Center near the South Entrance at North 50th Street and Fremont Avenue North. (Entrance to the auction is free, but access to the zoo is not included and requires zoo admission.)

Last Saturday’s annual Phinney Neighborhood Association auction raised a record $102,000 for the PNA’s programs.

PNA Executive Director Lee Harper tells us it’s the first time the auction has ever made more than $100,000, and it was $14,000 above their goal for this year.

Included in that total is a record $16,500 for the fund-a-need item, where people raise their paddles for a straight donation. This year’s fund-a-need proceeds go to the PNA Hot Meal Program (which is changing its name from the Soup Kitchen). That amount is $5,000 above the highest previous fund-a-need total.

The Dessert Dash — where each table pools their resources for a chance to be the first to pick out their dessert — also brought in a record-breaking $8,225.

PNA auction volunteer Becca Knox presides over the Dessert Dash table.

You can see more pictures and a write-up from the auction here.

Would you pay $700  to brew five gallons of beer with a Phinney neighbor in his “garage-Mahal?”

Two people did.

And two bidders paid $1,000 each for reserved tables for 10 at the Greenwood Senior Center’s wildly popular monthly Karaoke Bingo.

And that’s how it goes at the Phinney Neighborhood Association’s annual fundraising auction. Lights! Camera! Auction! was the theme of Saturday night’s event, and plenty of people dressed up as their favorite movie characters, including Pete and Lauri Serafin as Glinda the Good Witch and the Scarecrow.

About 300 people packed the Phinney Center for the silent auction, with hundreds of items to bid on, from massages and home remodeling consultations to jewelry and furniture.

Then everyone moved outside to the huge white tent in the parking lot for the live auction, with the chance to bid on vacation destinations, special chef dinners at Carmelita and Stumbling Goat Bistro, and sailing trips.

The dessert auction, which usually raises about $5,000, this year raised more than $7,000.

Denise Kitchel made these tiramisu and raspberry lemonade cakes to look like film reels.

One of the highlights every year is the visit from the firefighters from Fire Station 21. One lucky bidder spent $550 to win a dinner at the fire station.

Auctioneer Jerry Toner introduces four of the firefighters from Station 21, the “Defenders of Greenwood.”

The “fund a need” item – where bidders raise their paddles at various dollar amounts – brought in a whopping $15,700 for the PNA’s soup kitchen.

The live auction alone brought in more than $45,000 for the PNA’s programs. The total amount from ticket sales and all auction items sold won’t be available for a few days.

We had a great time at Friday night’s auction to raise money for the Greenwood Fire Relief Fund. Organizers tell us about 125 people attended and they raised about $3,500. Thanks to all the fine folks who volunteered their time to set this up, and to all the local businesses who donated items.

The monthly Greenwood-Phinney Artwalk is 6-9 p.m. Friday night, and this is your chance to buy one of the 29 fantastically-decorated Snowmen on Parade, sponsored by the Greenwood-Phinney Chamber of Commerce. All proceeds benefit the North Seattle Boys and Girls Club in Greenwood.

Each four-foot-tall snowman is currently displayed at a neighborhood business. Check out the online map to see which snowman is where. And check out the artwalk blog to see pictures and artist information on each of the snowmen.

You can even bid online now (just click on “Bid Online Now” under each snowman). The official auction is from 6-8 p.m. on Friday at SPACE: A Design Build Collective, on the corner of Greenwood and 76th.

The Burl Ives-inspired Sam the Snowman is my personal favorite.

But I also love the Snow Geisha.

And who can resist the Charlie Brown Christmas tree snowman?

This is the one-year anniversary of the monthly artwalk, which runs the length of Phinney/Greenwood avenues, from 60th to 87th streets, and a number of the participating two dozen businesses are offering specials or special events. Be sure and check the website for the full list.

Assemble Gallery & Studio at 7406 Greenwood Ave. N. is hosting their Grand Opening Party during the artwalk. Assemble had their “soft” opening at the end of November. Now they’re inviting everyone to a party with several musical guests, guest artist, craft station, and yummy treats.

And the Greenwod-Phinney Chamber of Commerce is hosting its annual holiday party for chamber members, starting at 8:30 p.m. at SPACE: A Design Build Collective.

It’s time for the second annual Snowmen on Parade auction, and you’ll get your first chance to see them at Friday night’s monthly Greenwood-Phinney Art Walk.

Seattle artists have painted and decorated more than 30 five-foot snowmen. This is my favorite, an homage to Burl Ives as Sam the Snowman in “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”

The snowmen will be on parade through Dec. 11 at businesses along Greenwood and Phinney avenues. New this year is the chance to bid online (details coming soon on www.greenwood-phinney.com) starting tomorrow, and live at the final auction during the Dec. 11 art walk.

Proceeds from the auction benefit the North Seattle Boys and Girls Club. The art walk is from 6-9 p.m. You can see a bunch more wildly creative Snowmen here. And here’s a map of the businesses participating in tomorrow’s art walk. Sports fans should love this one.

We’re a bit late in getting something posted about last night’s annual PNA auction – it took us a while to recover from an evening of freely flowing wine and the resulting free spending.

Doree and I have been to several Phinney Neighborhood Association auctions over the years (we’re also members), but we have to say, the organizers outdid themselves on the Parisian theme. Here’s Chardell:

Bidding was spirited – more so as the evening wore on…

The back and forth bidding on a couple items really got the crowd energized, including one for labor and construction of the custom guitar of the winner’s choice, which ended up going for $3,000! Here’s the donor, Stephen Godbe acknowledging some pretty thunderous applause.

We’ll add the monetary and other details later, including more about the bidding to have a custom song written by Chris Ballew, lead singer and songwriter for Presidents of the United States of America. On a related note, we’ll have info about him playing on the ridge this fall.

In the meantime, merci beaucoup, PNA!

The annual Phinney Neighborhood Auction is the highlight of our social calendar. We get to see hundreds of neighbors, eat good food and get in bidding frenzies over hot-ticket items. We always spend more than we think we will – yet we’re always happy that the money is going toward the PNA’s neighborhood programs.

This year’s auction – May 2, 5-10 p.m. – is themed Moulin Rouge, and once again the silent auction will happen inside the PNA’s blue building, with the frenzied live auction happening in the parking lot under a big tent.

Check out their Hot List page for some of the main live auction items. There are a ton of the usual great vacation and sailing packages, but three things really stand out: labor for creating a custom guitar (valued at $3,000); a 30-minute flight on a B-17 (valued at $800), plus a personalized ground tour by a WWII pilot; and a custom song written just for you by Chris Ballew, lead singer of the Presidents of the United States of America. How cool is that?!

Tickets are $50 person. You can make reservations online.

Greenwood Elementary School is looking for donations for its annual fundraiser, set for March 14. The fundraiser provides money for school programs in art, music, language, drama and environmental education.

Auction Co-Chair Karen Comiskey says goods and services of all kinds are welcome, including gift certificates. Donation ideas include yard work, knitting lessons, restaurant gift certificates, store gift cards, arts and crafts, homemade jewelry, hotel stays, cabin getaways and boat cruises.

Tickets to ”Puttin’ on the Ritz” are $30 until Feb. 15, then the price goes up to $35. The auction starts at 5 p.m. March 14 at the Ballard Elks Club at 6411 Seaview Ave. N.

Check out the auction website for more information or to download a donation form.