It takes many hands! You can help procure items; donate an item, service, dessert or experience; help with set-up and/or take down; help with picking up auction items from businesses, coordinate a class art project or gift basket; assist with online auction item/data entry day of, or registration during the event; and more. If you have a middle schooler in band or orchestra who will be performing at the auction, or who wants to earn service hours by helping during the event, we will have an adult helper coordinating our student helpers. To volunteer and join the fun, email auction@topsk8.org. Most of all, please come to the auction and feel free to bring family or friends!

The auction is an event that allows us to get together and have fun while raising money for Friends of TOPS. Your contributions to Friends of TOPS go towards supporting programs that have been envisioned and put into action by TOPS caregivers and staff. These programs are created to fill gaps left by the district budget as well as serve to enrich our students’ education and school community, and advance our social justice mission. Many of the programs offer our students experiences and opportunities unique to TOPS:

K-2 Assistants - part-time additional support for K, 1st, and 2nd grade teachers and students during class, recess and lunchtime;

Our robust music program - general music education for K-3, recorder instruction for 3rd graders, every 4th and 5th grader learns an instrument, Middle School Band and Orchestra;

The Drama program led by experienced teaching artists for 1st-8th grades;

Community events like the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Family Nights, movie nights and Taste of TOPS.

Math Agency tutoring of 4th graders supporting students whose math skills were deeply impacted by the pandemic school closures.

Here is a full list of the 2023-24 Friends of TOPS funded programs.

This year, you will also have the opportunity to donate your dollars to a separate TOPS Equity Fund. You can specify an amount during the auction event and/or choose Donate to Equity Fund to give online. You may choose to contribute to this separate fund supporting the vision that all Seattle Public Schools have the resources to provide educational support and enriching opportunities to help their students thrive. This fund helps other Seattle schools that have minimal parent/community fundraising capability improve the lives of their students. Past recipients have included Lowell Elementary and the Southeast Seattle Schools Fundraising Alliance. More information about the Equity Fund can be found here.

Yes! Unique (and fantastic!) items will be made available for bidding online only. We hope this will enable more TOPS supporters to participate and join the fun! Information about registering for online-only participation will be posted in April.

If you reserve a ticket online to the live auction, you will be automatically registered and receive an email or text with your unique link to access the online bidding.

You will be invited to St. Demetrios at 6pm for dinner and drinks. Check back in March for details of the start time for in-person super silent auction, and the live portion of the auction.

Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church is located close to the 520/Montlake exit in the Montlake neighborhood. There is an adjacent parking lot located off of E Lynn St. with accessible parking spots. We encourage carpooling or ride-shares.

Please indicate any accommodations you may need when reserving tickets online and/or email auction@topsk8.org if you have any questions or concerns. ASL interpretation will be provided. If you need an interpreter for another language, please email us ASAP (preferably by March 18th)

You are encouraged to dress up. Wear any decade of prom attire. Please wear whatever you like, and everyday attire is just fine. We want you there!

There will be tables and chairs inside to sit during the auction, and cocktail tables to stand around and mingle with your friends, TOPS staff and fellow TOPS caregivers. Unlike previous years, there is no assigned seating at this year’s auction.

We will be serving dinner and drinks, so come with an empty stomach!

Although without assigned tables it will look different from years past, there will some form of a Dessert Dash where you will be able to bid on desserts donated by local bakeries or homemade by members of our TOPS community. One thing for sure, though, is that it will be tasty and fun!

Most auction activities will wrap up around 8:30-9pm, but don’t ditch out right then. You will want to stay for the dance party!

We encourage you to register in advance. When you arrive at the auction, you will check-in and receive a bidding number. During the silent auction, you will use your number to write down your bids next to the items you are interested in. At the close of the silent auction, whoever has the highest bid for each item gets to go home with it! The live auction is even more exciting! You will raise your numbers to place your bid while a live auctioneer takes your bids against your fellow TOPS boosters!

Online bidding will be available the week leading up to the auction: Perfect for those who cannot attend on April 20th and for relatives and friends who may live far away. Details will be available in April. If you reserve a ticket to the live auction, you will be automatically registered for online bidding, and a link specific to you will be emailed or texted to you.