If the 2009 budget allows, I'd like to suggest contacting (and possibly hiring) hese guys to run the charity auction:
www.benefitauction360.comWe were at another benefit event and they ran the auction it went smoothly and exciting. The auctioneers kept a good, fast pace, and knew how to pull prices (down or up) as they measured the mood.
(PS: I am not connected with that organization in any way, I just asked for one of their business cards because I thought they ran an event very well.)