In the midst of the Vashon Island Schools Foundation’s final push to raise critical funds for the school district, the Vashon PTSA is holding its own fundraiser for the schools and stressing the importance of supporting its programs as well.

“The foundation raises money for the bottom line, and the PTSA raises money for curriculum-specific programs,” said Jackie Merrill, PTSA president and this year’s auction chair. She said that she didn’t see the two causes as competing and hoped islanders would consider giving to both.

“Why would someone want to go to the PTSA auction? They’ll have more fun writing their check, and they can know it will benefit so many different programs,” she said.

Last year’s auction, also during the foundation’s campaign, sold out and brought in $57,000, more than PTSA’s goal for the evening. This year, the group is hoping for another successful night, planning a nautical-themed auction this Saturday at Camp Burton.

The PTSA auction has hopped around the island, held in past years at the Open Space, K2, the VFW hall and the Vashon Golf and Swim Club. Merrill said Camp Burton recently began to allow alcohol to be served in its lodge’s banquet hall, making it a new and enticing option for the PTSA.

The hall, flanked by windows with a view of Quartmaster Harbor, will be the site of silent auction and life auction, the live portion emceed this time by Steffon Moody. Most auction items will follow the maritime theme — 10 pounds of halibut, a cruise to Gig Harbor, a painting of a sea scene by Michael Spakowsky and a Mariners gift package. As usual, auction items will include dinners, vacations and plenty of art, both by local pros and Vashon students.

“Everything has a bit of a nautical twist to it. It will be a fun one,” Merrill said.

Auction organizers hope the event will again bring in at least $50,000, funds that will help buy textbooks, support teacher training and fund programs such as Camp Waskowitz and the middle school science fair. It also funds teacher appreciation programs that Merrill called vital to the district. A raise-the-paddle portion of the night will solicit funds for math, to help support a new district-wide mathematics curriculum adoption.

Merrill said she thought the PTSA, the schools foundation, and even Partners in Education (PIE) — which raises money for teacher grants for special projects ­— all seem to have their place in the community and appeal differently to supporters. Last week, she noted that auction organizers hadn’t sold as many tickets as they had hoped, so far at leasdt. But she added that people often wait till the last minute to purchase them.

“People that want to feel like they’ve gotten something for their money will come to the auction over writing a check to the foundation,” Merrill said. “But overall it’s all for the betterment and benefit of our schools, whether you donate to one or the other.”

Auction Ahoy, this year’s PTSA auction, will take place at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Camp Burton Lodge.  Tickets, $50, include food and beverages and can be purchased at the Vashon Bookshop, The Little House or online at www.vashonptsa.org