Barbara Warnock of Los Altos receives earrings donated by Gleim Jewelers.

Pinewood School in Los Altos held its fourth annual auction at the Crowne Plaza Cabaña in March, raising a record-breaking $175,000.

The proceeds will benefit the school’s teachers’ retirement fund. “The more benefits we can offer our teachers, the more likely we will keep the high caliber of teachers we have - which makes Pinewood a great place to get an education,” said Scott Riches, president of Pinewood. “Our parents are very supportive, based on the bidding.”

Auction items included a summer internship donated by eBay; vacation homes in California, Mexico and Hawaii; fantasy basketball parties; and cookies for a full year. Auction co-chair Irene Reed said the bidding became quite competitive.

“The bidding was crazy,” said Brenda Blanchar, chairwoman of solicitations. “We knew all of these items would be popular.”

Kris Gulesserian of Los Altos, chairwoman of decorations, and her team transformed the hotel into a Venetian Carnivale. The centerpieces were made up of colorful feathers and the ballroom was decorated with masks designed by the committee and the school’s students.