Bidders poised for Cheers auction

Cheers for Children will hold its 27th annual holiday auction tonight, keeping up the tradition that started more than two decades ago, when a couple of Boston guys read a Globe Santa story and decided they wanted to help.

It was back in 1980 that Bull and Finch Pub bartender Eddie Doyle and John Grasso, who was then the manager, quickly put together an auction to raise some money and were proud to make their first donation of $570 to Globe Santa.

Cheers for Children, renamed in 1985 after the popular television show "Cheers" transformed the Bull and Finch from a local pub to a landmark, now raises money for Globe Santa, the Cam Neely Foundation for Cancer Care, the Jimmy Fund, and Friends of Floating Hospital for Children. In 2004, the organization surpassed the million-dollar mark in total money raised, and the annual auction has gained recognition among many attendees as an unofficial kickoff to the holiday season.

Tonight's party at the Hampshire House at 84 Beacon St. begins with a cocktail party at 5:30 and will feature a live auction at 8 p.m., hosted by KISS 108 morning man Matt Siegel. Items slated for auction include getaway weekends, airline tickets, dinners, artwork, jewelry, autographed sports memorabilia, and Boston Bruins tickets.

Guests can also enjoy complimentary hors d'oeuvres and talk with local celebrities, including Joe Castiglione, the radio voice of the Red Sox, and former Sox manager Joe Morgan, who will tend bar at the cocktail reception. Tickets are $35 at the door.