The Residence Hall Association will sell off its members today to the highest bidder to raise money for charity.

The RHA will hold its annual date auction at 10 p.m. in the Douglas Hall C/D cafeteria to raise money for Safe Passage, a local charity that helps victims of spousal abuse.

“In all of the years we have had it, it has had a really good turnout,” said Kristin McCullough, Douglas hall council treasurer.

The evening is set up where those being auctioned will walk up the runway to the stage and audience members can bid on a date for the Residence Halls Winter Formal, which is this Friday night in the Holmes Student Center’s Duke Ellington Ballroom. Bidding starts at $5.

“This year, we took the first 25 people from Douglas and RHA who signed up to be auctioned off,” said Jessie Taylor, Douglas Hall programming vice president.

Most of those being auctioned off are men, but Douglas did try to get a good mix of people, Taylor said.

Those who have been involved with the event in recent years said the bidding process can result in a duel between bidders on a certain person being auctioned off, said senior communication major Bush Acar.

In past years, the highest bid reached $100 for a woman and about $70 for a man.

Winning bidders will also receive two tickets to the winter formal.

“They are not obligated to go to the formal, but Douglas hall council does provide the tickets for the event if they want to go,” Acar said.

Acar is one of the founders of the event and looks forward to seeing how it will turn out.

The auction is something fun to do after hall council and allows students to come out of their shell and maybe make a friend with those they bid on, he said.

Douglas will hold the event after today’s hall council meeting, which will have a formal theme.

“I feel honored to be auctioned off at the annual date auction this year,” Alex Geer, RHA administrative vice president, said.

Other date auctions today:

Alpha Psi Lambda: 9 to 11 p.m. today in the HSC’s Illinois Room

Alpha Delta Pi: 8 p.m. in the HSC’s Diversions Lounge.