Even though items weren’t on display at the meeting, the 2022 AASV Foundation Auction was hugely successful, raising a total of $112,199 to support foundation-funded scholarships, research grants, travel stipends, externship grants, student debt relief, and more. The annual fundraiser was held in conjunction with the AASV Annual Meeting in Indianapolis.
Silent auction items were described on the AASV and ClickBid websites and featured on signs and the auction leaderboard display at the annual meeting. The 61 donated items generated $15,149 in winning bids. Donors shipped the items directly to the winning bidders after the auction, saving the foundation transportation and postage costs.
AASV member and auctioneer Dr. Shamus Brown called the ever-popular live auction, which featured a wide variety of hunting and fishing trips, firearms, sporting events, tools, and more. One item, the "tailgate palooza," prompted bidding competition between university alumni to secure football tickets and a tailgating experience at the college of their choice. Drs. Erin and Jim Lowe won the bidding war with a bid of $3500 to claim the University of Illinois experience offered by the "Praise the Lard" tailgating team of Drs. Clayton Johnson and Aaron Lower. Additional bidders stepped up to claim the tickets and tailgates at Kansas State, Iowa State, University of Minnesota, and North Carolina State. All told, the tailgate palooza contributed $15,500 towards the live auction proceeds of $53,350.
Dr. Brown was assisted in the auction by Wes Johnson, who served as auction clerk, and ring men Drs. Bill Hollis, Ross Kiehne, David Reeves, Chase Stahl, Jon Van Blarcom, and John Waddell. The 2022 Auction Committee was led by co-chairs Drs. Chase Stahl, John Waddell, and Butch Baker.
The auction proceeds included an additional $43,700 in generous monetary contributions made by AASV members and sponsors. See https://aasv.org/foundation/2022/auctionlist.php for the full list of donors and auction items, including the winning bid and bidder for each.