Looking for a Bargain? Check Out Live Oak Elementary School's Online Auction

Spa packages, tickets to pro sports games, vacations and wine tastings are some of hundreds of items up for grabs in 's online auction.

As the state financial crisis forces schools districts to make budget cuts, schools like Live Oak Elementary depend more than ever on private donations.

Proceeds from the online auction to to the Live Oak Education Fund – a nonprofit entity that pays for technology and other resources for students.

"As a parent with a background in education, I understand how important our fund raising efforts are to the quality of education our children receive," said Melissa Wen, who co-chairs the auction. "My child attends a school with first rate teachers and staff, however without these types of fundraisers, they are not able to provide our children with the supplemental resources, such as computers and other cutting edge technology they need to keep up with today’s technologically advanced learning environment."

All the goods and services up for bid were donated, event organizers said.

"I am very impressed with how the local businesses and community have come together to help our school in bridging the budget gaps," said Leera Patel, auction co-chair.

If you're interested:

• Donate items to the auction or reserve a table at the school's live auction on March 26. To find out how, contact Leera Patel at leerapatel@yahoo.com, or Melissa Wen via issawen@yahoo.com.
• Donate money to the Live Oak Education Fund. Donations are tax deductible and fund programs at the San Ramon public school.
• For a list of business that have donated money, goods or services, click here.

Want to promote your school auction? E-mail San Ramon Patch Editor Jennifer Wadsworth at jenniferw@patch.com and we'll get the word out.