Mrs Stevens, Snowvision chief executive, said other fund-raising events for the team had been held around New Zealand previously, but the idea behind holding one in Queenstown was two-fold.
All proceeds from the event went towards the national ski team, which would be used to help it prepare for next year's Winter Games New Zealand and the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.
"It's really important we have the best athletes New Zealand can put forward [at the Winter Games New Zealand] because that will be quite a big international event.
"They need resources to prepare properly for those things and that's what Friday night was all about.
"But it was also about turning the Volkswagen National Ski Championships into more than just a ski race, but an event where the community that may be interested, but not specifically participating in, can get involved."
Mrs Stevens said there were about 130 people from across the country at the silent auction on Friday night who put in significant bids for eight auction items.
These ranged from a photographic "masterpiece" of Hermann Maier helping a jubilant Benny Raich from the snow after he won the giant slalom gold medal at the 2006 Torino Winter Olympics, signed by both athletes; to a Hook, Line and Fly freshwater fly fishing set and an "Undie 300" with Dunedin's Cook Brothers, "former ski racers turned Bar Barons James Arnott, Richard McLeod and George Eason".
However, Mrs Stevens said it was an item with a reserve of $4000 and a value of $5000 that fetched top dollar from those bidding.
The "Endless Run" was a Mt Ruapehu Life Pass, which gave the winning bidder a lifetime pass to the Whakapapa and Turoa ski areas.
These passes are not available for purchase yet.
"That's why we need that cross-section of guests - for people that had a North Island interest, that was very attractive."
One of the highlights of the auction was the "Foreign Exchange Dinner" bidding, which featured some of the world's best skiers auctioning themselves off for dinner dates.
Mrs Stevens said World Cup and medal-winning Swedish ski racers Jessica Lindell-Vikarby, Veronica Smed, Mattias Hargin and Oscar Andersson were auctioned off for dinner at The Cow tonight.
