Finding a date in time for Valentine’s Day can be difficult. For those still searching for a partner to spend the evening with, Grand Valley Television offers a solution.

GVTV is hosting its first Valentine’s Day date auction today from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. in the Pere Marquette room in the Kirkhof Center. Admission is $3 at the door and participation is limited to students.

Currently, 12 eligible bachelors and bachelorettes are set to be put on stage to be bid on by participants for the opportunity to go on a date for Valentine’s Day. And currently anyone who still wants to be auctioned off is encouraged to do so.

In order to win a date, attendees will be given a special currency. These “love bucks” will be used to procure dates. Five “love bucks” will be given with the price of admission, but more will be available for purchase with cash and credit.

If that wasn’t enough, students who successfully acquire a date from the auction will also receive a prize donated by local restaurants and businesses that have sponsored the event. Prizes include gift cards to Peppino’s, Uccello’s, Applebee’s and Bagger Dave’s, as well as tickets to a Grand Rapids Griffins game and the Presidents’ Ball. These prizes are geared toward giving the date participants something to do.

“Some people don’t have the money to go on dates,” said Jaret Grinsamer, public relations manager of GVTV and host of the Valentine’s Day auction. “So, we found sponsors who would. It’s amazing how many people are willing to help students out.”

But even if students aren’t interested in the auction, itself, they are still encouraged to come and take part in the event.

“Even if you don’t bid, come out anyway. You’ll be donating your energy by having a good time,” Grinsamer said. “It’s a fun event for a great cause.”

Proceeds from the event will go to the Relay for Life charity that helps fund cancer research and aid those with the disease. The event was conceived by GVTV President Jamie Bartkowicz as a way to help raise money for a good cause and bring awareness to the television station.

“Most students don’t even know we have a student-run television station,” Grinsamer said. “This is just a way of getting some more exposure and doing it for good cause, too.”

If this year’s auction goes well, Grinsamer and the rest of GVTV hope to hold another next year with more participants and bigger prizes.

“The more people who attend, the more that will be bidding, which means when we go to businesses and show them how well we’ve done, they’ll be willing to donate much more,” Grinsamer said.

The television station’s next big event is its annual telethon, which will also raise money for Relay for Life. While a date for this year’s event has not yet been set, GVTV hopes to beat the fundraiser’s record from last year of $2,400 raised.

“We’re hoping with the attention we get through this, it’ll help raise donations maybe to $5,000,” Grinsamer said. “We want to give back to the community, show them we’re not just a TV station, but that we care about people.”