TULALIP — In spite of the current economy, the second annual Marysville Arts and Technology School Senior Legacy Auction has raised more than $40,000, an increase from last year’s total.

The Legacy Auction attracted a wide variety of Marysville and Tulalip community members to the Tulalip Resort Hotel ballrooms April 11, where they bid in silent and live auctions to raise funds for an athletic field on campus, on behalf of the 939 students at all three specialty schools, including the 10th Street School and Heritage High School, at the “Options Campus.”

Shane Warbus works at the Tulalip Resort, so he and his wife Norene were more than willing to return during his off-hours for the auction. Norene admired a set of baby boots that were up for bid, while Shane had an eye on one of the Seahawks jerseys. The couple agreed to bid on a bowl and pitcher that matched ones that they already owned, and were pleased to be supporting a cause that they previously hadn’t even been known about.

Lynn Fitzpatrick, whose husband teaches at the Arts and Tech School, sat with Donna Ruff, who has two children attending the school, and Deb Shanks, Ruff’s friend. Fitzpatrick was in the market for a vacation trip, while Shanks’ wish list included “girly stuff,” such as spa materials, as well as a Fourth of July barbecue basket and a Seahawks jersey.

“The kids need this athletic field, so that they won’t be running in the street,” said Ruff, who hoped to nab a signed Silvertips hockey stick and a trip to Las Vegas. “It’s for their health and fitness, as well as that of the community.”

Like Ruff, Peggy Jahn is a member of the Legacy Auction committee and as she surveyed the gourmet desserts up for bid this year she noted that the desserts at last year’s auction generated more than $1,000 by themselves.

Marysville Mayor Dennis Kendall wasn’t the only city official browsing through the bid item tables. Marysville Police Cmdr. Rob Lamoureux joked that, because his wife had stayed at home, he felt more free to indulge his shopaholic tendencies. Both the Tulalip and the Marysville police departments donated ride-alongs with their respective officers as items for bid, and Lamoureux explained the Marysville Police Department’s support of the Legacy Auction.

“Anything that deals with youth and education, the police department supports,” Lamoureux said. “Both of those things have a driving impact on the surrounding community.”

While Lamoureux bid on Silvertips tickets and jewelry for his wife, Marysville School District Capital Projects Director John Bingham caught up with Cindy Oosterwyk-Elverom, who works in food services at the “Options Campus.” Bingham had assisted Legacy Auction Co-Chair Lana Magnan in planning the athletic field development, while Oosterwyk-Elverom was bidding on handmade Native American artwork.

James Madison was one of the artists to donate some of his work to the Legacy Auction. Madison’s artwork appears throughout the Tulalip Resort, and he and his wife Jessica attended the Legacy Auction to bid on a few trip packages.

“I donate to a lot of auctions,” Madison said. “I’ve had a lot of opportunities to create art, so it’s a way of giving back. I give to groups like the Boys and Girls Clubs and the Arts Council. It’s like President Obama said, about everybody needing to do their part. It might sound corny, but I want to do my part.”

Arts and Tech School senior Jacob Thomle was one of the students who volunteered his time to help set up and conduct the auction. He explained that this year’s senior class voted for an athletic field as their “legacy,” and cited its benefits to future students’ educational experience.

Magnan was “encouraged and excited” by the response to this year’s auction, pointing out that she received “overwhelmingly positive comments” from attendees.

“This space will serve both our students and the surrounding community,” Magnan said. “It’s about community-building as much as anything else.”

Magnan added that the Legacy Auction committee is still seeking grants, and accepting donations, for their cause. She can be contacted at 425-577-0306 for more information.

Click here for more photos.