October 19, 2005
Purdue vet school auction raises $28,000, endows scholarship
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Corporate donors, Purdue veterinary alumni and local businesses and individuals took part in an auction that made $28,082 to help fund special projects at Purdue's School of Veterinary Medicine, including the completion of a scholarship endowment and the continuation of a student counseling service.
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The annual fund raiser was held Sept. 30 in conjunction with the school's Fall Conference for Veterinarians and Veterinary Technicians. With the amount raised this year, the school was able to announce the endowment of the John F. Van Vleet Auction Scholarship in honor of the school's associate dean for academic affairs.
"Dr. Van Vleet has been active on the auction committee and a huge advocate for the auction for all of its 14 years and was very touched by the tribute," said Lee Ann Happ, executive assistant to the dean and chairperson of the event. "The endowment was funded by auction proceeds over the last four years, and the first scholarship will be awarded in 2006."
Other projects funded by the auction are:
• the student counseling service;
• microscopes for veterinary technology students;
• restoration of several graduating-class composite photos; and
• upgrading electronic card readers for building security.
Items donated to the auction ranged from a basket of three different types of biscuits and two six-inch bones donated by Honey Hound Gourmet Dog Biscuits of West Lafayette to multiple boxes of pet supplies from Hartz Mountain Corp. valued at $1,700. Other items donated included an autographed Drew Brees football and tickets to the Indianapolis Colts-San Diego Chargers football game.
The auction draws support from a wide range of corporate donors, including Nestle Purina Pet Care, Hill's Pet Nutrition, Dad's Pet Care, Butler Animal Health Supply, Columbus Serum, Western Instruments, Vetamac and Midwest Veterinary Supply Inc. Local businesses that donated included Seattle Beanery, Homewood Suites, PEFCU, F.C. Tucker/Lafayette Realtors, Kelly's Custom Frames Inc., University Inn Conference Center & Suites and Wabash Valley Feed and Western Wear. Many alumni, faculty and families of current students donated hand-crafted items.
"We had many items hand made by the donors, such as wood furniture, quilts, afghans, purses, totes and artwork," Happ said. "One of our faculty members built a two-seat porch glider made of cedar with a special carving of our school's 'continuum' sculpture on the backrest. We also had an alum who made a wooden children's book/toy case in the shape of a house that was about 3 feet tall."
A comic portion of the auction brought in more money and gave a former large-animal technician a new hairstyle. If $4,000 was raised, Harry Latshaw agreed to let the highest bidder have the honor of shaving his head into a Mohawk haircut.
"Harry was a great sport through the whole thing," Happ said. "But the good news is that one of our alums came to me afterwards and offered to write a check to take the total for that portion of the auction up to $5,000. Everyone had a great time."
The event also featured the SVM Boiler Bake-Off, in which local celebrity judges selected winning cookies, cakes and pies and awarded prizes, including sport and tote bags, gift certificates to Hour Time Restaurant, Subway, Red Lobster, Starbucks, McDonald's, Wal-Mart, Sam's Club and Garrett's Flowers. The winning entries in each category were auctioned off in the general auction and the remaining entries were sold at the bake sale.
Writer: Maggie Morris, (765) 494-2432, maggiemorris@purdue.edu
Sources: Lee Ann Happ, (765) 496-2665, lahapp@purdue.edu
Kevin Doerr, vet school director of alumni relations and public affairs, (765) 494-8216, doerrkr@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
CAPTION:
Harry Latshaw grimaces as John Van Vleet (right), associate dean and professor of veterinary pathology, begins to shave his head, assisted by Sandra Amass, associate professor in clinical sciences. Latshaw is a former veterinary technician who volunteered to let the top bidder give him a Mohawk haircut in an auction for the School of Veterinary Medicine. (Photo provided by the School of Veterinary Medicine.)
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