A Few Good Men Bachelors Go On The Auction Block With Date Packages That Will Help Benefit A Good Cause

Let the screaming begin.

Close to 500 exceedingly happy women are expected to show up for the Easter Seal Bachelor’s Auction Friday night at the SheratonSpokane Hotel. They’ll be bidding on lavish dates with 29 single men.

What would possess a man to don a tuxedo and climb onto that stage?

A great cause, and, well, the chance to meet all those screaming women, says Paul Jensen, 30, a seasoned bachelor who’s returning to the auction for the second time.

“I can’t imagine any girl spending $20 on me, let alone $500,” says Jensen, who nevertheless sold for $500 last year.

Organizers hope to raise $20,000, which will help pay for services to Spokane adults, teens and children with disabilities.

The men, an attorney, an accountant, a stockbroker, a police chief and a pyrotechnician among them, have agreed to be auctioned to the highest bidder.

They’ve bared their souls for the cause. Easter Seal has helped each man devise a profile, in which they confess that they look like Al on “Home Improvement” or weep at movies like “Forever Young” or simply want “a woman who knows the difference between a driver and a 5-iron.”

The bachelors have lined up elaborate dates, often with the help of contributing sponsors. They range from weekends in San Francisco, Seattle or Victoria to a picnic in Sandpoint.

They promise limousines, candlelight and romance. The women must simply come through with the cash, from the lowest recent winning bid of $175 to the all-time high of $1,000.

“The women love it,” says Charlene Richards, the auction recruiting chair. “They come dressed anywhere from a business suit they wore that day to sequined evening gowns. The women have a ball.”

If women dream of meeting Prince Charming, they aren’t the only ones arriving with fantasies.

Says bachelor Jensen: “Everyone wants Cindy Crawford to bid on them.”

The No. 1 bachelor fear is that he’ll stand on stage and not a single woman will bid.

“I was scared to death,” says Dave Metzger, a Hale’s Ales brewery manager who was auctioned last year. “It all seemed like a good idea right up until the event itself, and then I was just petrified.”

But Metzger may have been the luckiest bachelor.

A pretty speech pathologist named Doreen Evans took one look and bid $325. They had a memorable getaway in Leavenworth, Wash., and have been dating ever since. In February they traveled to Belize and Guatemala together.

Certainly, not all of the dates turn into romance.

Stacey Marsh, regional development manager for Easter Seal, says the bachelors must possess a sense of adventure.

She offers advice: “If you’re 30 and someone who’s 60 buys your package? Take her out, pretend she’s your grandma and have a good time with her.”

Actually, if you take a peek at last year’s auction scrapbook, it’s eery how closely matched the couples are, right down to the matching grins, the glasses or the salt-and-pepper hair.

Other auction fun facts: The hottest age groups are 40- and 50-year-olds, because women that age have more money to spend. And the overnight dates have one important stipulation: two hotel rooms.

Today we offer a sneak preview of four of the bachelors. For a closer look at all 29, you’ll need to buy a ticket. (See box on D1.)

The “Evening of Elegance” starts with hors d’oeuvres and a no-host bar at 6 p.m. Bachelors sell roses and mingle with the women, and then work up their courage and head for the stage at 7:30 p.m.

But don’t feel a bit sorry for them.

Says Jensen: “The bottom line is you do meet a lot of women.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 4 Photos (3 Color)

MEMO: These sidebars appeared with the story: Tom Hall Age: 41 Occupation: Account executive for AT&T Wireless Services Likes: Reading esoteric literature, walks in the park and playing the piano (preferably Chopin). Adores: “My two children.” Likes a women who: Has a subtle sense of humor. Moonlighting: Played the piano for several Spokane Civic Theatre productions. Date: A weekend in San Francisco with dinner at the Cafe Majestic, voted the most romantic restaurant in the city, and tickets for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Phantom of the Opera.” Overnight at the Westin Hotel.

Bruce Berezay Age: 33 Occupation: General contractor/construction worker Likes: Outdoor sports, camping, swimming, skiing, body building Hometown: Spokane Likes a woman who: Likes to have fun, has a sense of humor and a great personality. True confession: “I’m a romantic at heart.” Date: Dinner at Rosso’s and dancing at Club Misty’s at the Red Lion.

Ron Jensen Age: 30 Occupation: Mortgage broker Likes: Playing basketball, running, snow- and water-skiing. Favorite previous residence: Honolulu, for golfing, surfing and scuba diving. Likes a woman who is: An optimist who can make the best out of anything. Moonlighting: Has acted with James Garner, Sarah Jessica Parker and Cheryl Ladd. Date: A trip in a new Mercedes to Sandpoint. A day of sightseeing and browsing, and a romantic picnic with a bottle of wine at the Festival at Sandpoint.< Marty Pujolar Age: 45 Occupation: Executive director, Gonzaga University Alumni Association Favorite place to spend time: On his boat on Lake Coeur d’Alene. Hometown: San Francisco. Likes a woman with: A smile that lights up a room. Best offer: “I’ll cook for anyone who brings a great bottle of wine.” Date: A weekend at the historic Roosevelt Hotel in Seattle. Lunch on the waterfront; dinner at F.X. McRory’s; Jazz Alley after dinner. Sunday brunch before the flight home to Spokane.