EPHRATA - Carrying her 10-week old daughter Ella, Tanya Piturachstit perused auction items at St. Rose of Lima Catholic School's auction Saturday.

This year is Tanya's second year at the auction, which pays for the private school's operating expenses and scholarships.

Her nieces attend the school and she'd come to enjoy the event.

"This is going to be our new tradition," Tanya said.

The event offers a silent auction, live auction and dinner.

Afterward gross proceeds were more than $165,000, said Jenny Ahrend, a St. Rose parent and member of the auction committee, on Sunday.

Most years, the auction brings in about $87,000.

The Father Kerr Scholarship portion of the event raised more than $34,000 on its own. Almost half of St. Rose's students are on scholarships.

Attendance for the event also increased, with about 300 people at Saturday's auction. Typically between 220 to 270 people attend.

"It's one of our best auctions in recent memory," she said. "We were afraid we would sell out."

Ahrend mentioned the generous response from businesses, despite the economy.

The school serves students from Quincy, Ephrata and Moses Lake. St. Rose is supported by the three parishes.

Nicole Prentice, of the auction committee, said one major change is the increased table sponsors.

There were 22 sponsors this year, compared to just three sponsors last year.

"They get excited and call their friends," she said.

The event is made possible by the help of many, including the parents, classes and staff.

The school's janitor crafted the decorative sails hanging overhead to fit with the theme "Come Sail Away." Parents can earn required auction hours by donating desserts, Prentice said.

Principal Amy Krautscheid called the turnout "wonderful."

The school currently has 120 students, including preschoolers. There are 91 kindergarten through sixth-grade students.

A fifth-grade teacher was hired recently, providing a teacher at every grade level to keep class sizes low, Krautscheid explained.

Nearby, St. Rose graduate and parent, Cyndee Burton was visiting with her family members. Her three daughters, ages 3, 6, and 8, now attend the school.

"They love it," Burton said. "They don't want to go anywhere else."