Under the banner “Follow your passion!” AASV members and industry supporters have been called to participate in the annual auction fundraiser for the AASV Foundation. It’s only fitting that this year’s AASVF Auction Committee has dedicated the 2015 fundraiser in honor of two of the foundation’s most passionate supporters, the late Dr Rod Johnson and his wife, Jean. The auction will take place Monday, March 2 during the AASV Annual Meeting in Orlando.
Dr Johnson was generous towards the foundation with both his time and resources. He served on the AASV Foundation Board from 2002 through 2008, and was president of the Foundation in 2008. He contributed to the Foundation as both a Leman and a Heritage Fellow. He and his wife Jean donated items for the annual Foundation Auction as enthusiastically as they requested donations from others, and followed up with their active participation in the auction bidding.
As Foundation president, Rod became a driving force behind the increasingly successful auctions. In 2008, he set the “Big Hairy Audacious Goal” of raising $50,000. This goal was certainly audacious, as no previous AASVF auction had approached even $20,000 in proceeds. Nevertheless, his expectations were met as AASV members surpassed the goal by raising more than $70,000 that year. Subsequent auctions repeated this success, as Rod continued to serve on the AASVF Auction Committee through 2014, when he and Jean helped the auction generate more than $100,000 for the second year in a row.
Sadly, Dr Johnson passed away May 22, 2014. His “can do” attitude and encouraging presence will be missed by all who knew and worked with him. However, as the Auction Committee issues the call to “Follow your passion!” the example set by Rod and Jean Johnson serves to remind us all of the greatness that can be achieved when these words are put into action.
You can help support Rod and Jean’s generosity by donating an item to the auction and participating in the bidding. To see the many generous donations for the AASV Foundation live and silent auctions, see https://www.aasv.org/foundation/2015/auctionlist.php. Make the magic happen in Orlando by supporting the Foundation!