How much would you pay for a year of hassle-free parking in Walnut Creek?

It's auction time for local public elementary schools. At parties taking place over the next few weeks, parent organizations will auction off travel and entertainment packages, gift cards and items hand-crafted by the kids themselves. These auctions are big money-makers for school programs funded by parent-teacher organizations.

Perhaps the big-ticket item on any of the schools' auction rosters is a  "VIP" parking pass for downtown Walnut Creek. The Murwood Elementary Parent Teacher Association is auctioning it off at its Auction for Education gala this Saturday.

The listed value is $1500.

A Murwood mom shared this item with me.

The permit is donated by Regional Parking Inc., which manages many of the private lots around town. 

Anyway, you buy this permit and you can park in downtown lots managed by Regional Parking, any time of the day and any day of the year. You don't have to worry about running out to your car to feed the meter after two hours.

"An incredible luxury for a downtown worker or heavy shopper or anyone who likes the convenience of Free Parking," a description of the auction item reads.

I've seen Regional Parking donate this permit to other local nonprofits to auction off to raise money for their causes. The money raised by the Murwood Elementary auction will help some of those "extras" that state budget cuts have taken away: fund science education, library books, technology, a poetry program and teacher training to implement a writer's workshop in classrooms.