If you’re considering making a donation for the 2010 AASV Foundation auction you’ve finally procrastinated long enough. It’s time to fill out the donation form and send it to the AASV office. Sue has put her foot down and issued the final decree – the deadline for submissions is Monday January 11, 2010. Really, no kidding, she’s serious. I know, I know, I first told you the deadline was December 5th and then the 15th and then the 31st but those were all just dates I made up. This one is for real. If we’re going to get your item listed in the auction brochure, we need to have the donation form submitted no later than Monday. Really.
Now you need to start considering what items you’re planning to bid on. If you haven’t taken the opportunity to peruse the list of items available for bid you need to visit the foundation’s auction website. You won’t believe some of the incredible items that our generous members and allied organizations have donated!
I hear all of you out there whining about the cold – "As soon as my diesel starts, I’m moving", "Can wood actually be too cold to light?", "I’d start a fire if I could get the match to come out of the box", etc, etc… Well, all I can say is that you’ve got no excuse not to bid on a beautiful quilt handmade by Heidi Kaisand. There’s no way this quilt won’t keep your bed warm on the coldest of nights.
But, just in case you’ve burned your bed to stay warm, we’ve still got you covered. Our very own Judi Bell is again this year offering a hand-knitted sweater made from 100% acrylic yarn. Now who knows more about staying warm the year round then our friends from the great white north??
Ok, ok I realize the sweater’s sized for a girl and your daughter won’t share, so if the sweater doesn’t work out have you considered alcohol?? We’ve got two donations that are sure to warm your insides: the first is a unique bourbon drink manufactured by the Alltech Lexington Brewing Company (yes, that Alltech – who knew?) called Bluegrass Sundown. This gift pack includes the bourbon and two glasses so you can share with someone special or use them both yourself if you’re too lazy to get up and wash out your glass. Second, if you think this cold snap is going to last all year this is the gift for you – a one year Dean & Deluca wine club membership donated by Pfizer Animal Health! The winning bidder will receive three selections per month for a year starting in April.
I know, I know – there’s no way you’ll be able to survive until April. If only you had a way for your kids to be able to carry more wood up from woodpile. Well, don’t despair – your problem is solved! Thanks to Farm Credit Services of America you can actually bid on a brand new Kubota RTV 500. This heavy-duty utility vehicle can hold up to 441 pounds of warmth-giving firewood! It’s also small enough to fit in back of the pickup so you’ll be able to carry it south with you to haul beach chairs and umbrellas, that is once you get the truck started.
Whatever you decide to bid on, be sure to thank all of those folks that were kind enough to donate an item. Show your appreciation by bidding loudly and often on Monday March 8th at the AASV Annual Meeting in Omaha – we’ll see you there!