In previous years at the annual Martha’s Vineyard Community Services Possible Dreams auction, the final dream was Art Buchwald’s straw hat. This year it happened to be a round of golf for three with Vernon Jordan, though winner Barbara Walsh would likely have bid on anything.

“I just wanted to win something,” said Mrs. Walsh last night. “I told my husband I’m going to spend so much this year, next year I’ll have to volunteer at the event.”

Though Mr. Buchwald’s famous wit — and hat — have been absent for two years now, last night’s auction saw a fitting ending in Mrs. Walsh’s win. Last September her husband Dilly Walsh was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. He is currently at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital receiving treatment. Mrs. Walsh will donate her prize to friend John Verret who helped organize a fund-raising event on the Island for ALS sufferers this July. Mrs. Walsh herself worked as a school guidance counselor for 39 years before retiring this year.

“I wanted to contribute,” she concluded simply.

In all, the 2008 Possible Dreams auction raised in excess of $560,000. The tally includes private donations and door fees as well as the auction money, and is up slightly over last year’s total. Proceeds from last night’s event go to the Island’s umbrella social services organization, which includes programs such as Women’s Support Services, the Island Counseling Center and Early Childhood Programs.

And just after midnight last night auction committee member Kate Feiffer declared the night — which was attended by more than 600 guests and held under a canopy at the new venue of the Outerland nightclub — a resounding success.

“I think it went fabulously, we’re all relieved,” she said, describing this as a transition year for the auction, “[Mr. Buchwald] was huge to this. He’s irreplaceable and it’s difficult to move forward without him.”

Silver-tongued auctioneers Rick Lee and Susan Klein took every available opportunity to incite bidding frenzy for the 35 dreams, which frequently sold themselves.

Michele Serrao, a regular visitor to the Vineyard, paid $15,000 for front row courtside seats at a Celtics home game next season. She will also get to attend a practice game, tour the locker room and meet several players on the Celtics team. A gift of the Grousbeck family and the Celtic Shamrocks foundation, the prize may well have been a genuine dream of its recipient.

“I’ve been a Celtics fan since I was a kid,” said Mrs. Serrao, who played for her college team. “I went to all the playoffs this year and to the final game out in L.A. I’m so excited to get this. I love basketball.”

Mrs. Serrao’s husband, Edward Jepson, was a dream himself for several years running. An aerobatic pilot, he took winners on hair-raising tours of the Vineyard at several thousand feet.

“I fly people around the Vineyard, or I fly them upside down, whatever they want,” he said. “Most people just want to fly around.”

At this, Mrs. Serrao brought the conversation back to basketball.

“Big Baby kissed me in Detroit and I’m looking for another one,” she said, of Celtics star Glen Davis.

Dressed in yellow shirts with felt flags, official spotters prowled the rows of seats, calling out the bids from the audience for the benefit of the auctioneers. In all there were more than two dozen volunteers at the event. Sarah Lavalette was one of designated runners.

“I’m pushing drinks,” said Ms. Lavalette, who grew up on the Vineyard and has been coming to the auction for many years as a guest. “Growing up, I used to work for Art, getting his mail in the morning and making his breakfast. It all comes back around — I’m working for him again.”

A trip to the set of an upcoming Doug Liman-directed movie starring Jake Gyllenhaal, known for now only as Untitled Moon Project, was bought by Daniel Burstein of Menemsha for $8,500.

For Mr. Liman, whose father gave dreams for several years himself, the annual fund-raiser is unique.

“People who come to the Vineyard are committed to it not being a playground for the rich and famous,” he said.

Last year Mr. Liman paid for a day’s horseback riding with Clarissa Allen of Chilmark.

“It was the most magical day I’ve ever had on the Vineyard. It was truly irreplaceable. No one but her could have offered that ride,” said Mr. Liman adding that Mrs. Allen secured permission from up to 20 neighboring residents in order to plot the course of their ride.

“You don’t get to do that even if you’re a billionaire. It’s access to something truly unique that’s not doable anywhere else,” he said.

Mr. Liman said he had already talked to winner Mr. Burstein , whose son David is a young filmmaker, about sitting in on the writing process for the film at Mr. Liman’s home as a part of the dream.

“You want people to talk about it so more come next year,” he said.

Joel Greenberg and his wife Marcy Gringlas made the evening’s largest bid of $40,000 to attend The Masters golf tournament in Atlanta, Ga. The dream includes a meeting with legendary golfers Gary Players, Ernie Els and David Leadbetter, and a chance to play on the course. Mr. Greenberg said he and his wife would be giving the dream to someone else.

A storyteller by trade, Ms. Klein is in her ninth year as auctioneer.

“We’re out of the era of Art and his amazingly generous friends,” she said, adding:

“For me it’s never been about the money. It really truly is about educating the public, that there is no hierarchy when it comes to calling [Community Services]. It could happen to anyone on any given day. When you need help they’re there.”

In a virtuoso, eleventh hour shake-down, fellow auctioneer Mr. Lee raised $57,000 in the moments before the appetizers were brought out.

“Here we have an opportunity for 100 per cent tax deductible giving,” he deadpanned, asking guests to raise menu cards to make donations ranging from $1,000 to $5,000.

Katie Mayhew, the celebrated 16-year-old West Tisbury resident who won this year’s Boston Pops high school singing contest, gave a rendition of the musical number The Impossible Dream and received a standing ovation, before a room of around 300 generous — and hungry — guests were fed.