Students now can bid online for prizes from sports memorabilia signed by Mark Richt and Herschel Walker to vacation packages to Hawaii and New York City – all while saving animals.

The Athens Area Humane Society, a private, non-profit organization devoted to saving abandoned and stray animals, has created an online supplement to their annual auction.

Items range from tickets to Dollywood to “For a Day” experience packages including TV news reporting or race car driving.

The online portion will be available through April 20. The segment allows those vying for items the flexibility of not being present at the auction.

“The online component makes items available to people out of state,” said Crystal Schultz, executive director of the Athens Area Humane Society.

The top bid from the online option will be the initial bid at the live auction event, hosted on April 21 at the Classic Center at 7 p.m.

“I think that the online addition gives students more opportunity and access to be involved because it is so convenient,” said Heather Bailey, a junior from Calhoun. “You can purchase fun things and support a great cause.”

Proceeds benefit the Athens Area Humane Society. For 2007, the organization hopes to raise $10,000 to build a new spay and neuter clinic.

“We will be opening a clinic that will be capable of up to 60 surgeries a day,” Schultz said. “This will be a continued opportunity to be proactive in reducing the animal population by offering services at a reduced rate.”

Each year the organization cares for as many as 1,800 animals including cats, dogs, rabbits, rats and guinea pigs.

“We actually have a lot rabbits available right now for adoption. Rats are also popular because they make good pets for smaller confined areas like apartments,” Schulz said.