Hearts for a home

Black tie waiters, a swanky meal and a mini Eiffel Tower.

Habitat for Humanity is putting a little class into its Valentine's Day themed fundraiser this year.

"An Evening In Paris," the nonprofit's second fundraiser for its construction of homes for low-income folks, will have a romantic spin on everything from the dinner to the live and silent auctions, promised board member Rick Shipman.

"Roses are involved. I won't give it away completely," Shipman said with a chuckle on Thursday. "We're having fun with a little bit of everything, because it is on Valentine's weekend. We're trying to make it special."

The Feb. 12 event will include a dinner, auctions and raffle, he said.

Items up for auction will include a diamond pendant, a fully stocked wine rack and a roughly 6-foot Eiffel Tower built by a local contractor.

Several golf packages will also be available.

All money raised will go directly to the cost of building homes for individuals on hard times, Shipman said, who repay that cost over time, in conjunction with their incomes.

"We've taken people who have been living in some pretty substandard conditions," Shipman said. "We help them clean up their credit and make sure they succeed once they're in their homes."

Tickets for the event are $40, and are available at Habitat for Humanity of North Idaho at 176 West Wyoming Ave. in Hayden.

Tickets must be purchased before Feb. 7.

The event's silent auction, social hour and bar begin at 5 p.m. on Feb. 12 at the Best Western Coeur d'Alene Inn.

Dinner will be served at 6:30, followed by the live auction at 7 p.m.

The group is hoping to bring in the same $20,000 the fundraiser garnered last year.

"It'll be a nice evening. We had a lot of fun last year," Shipman said.