Going once ... going twice ... sold for CAFNR
Eric Wright, posted Feb. 7, 2007
The Ag Alumni Association held its 14th annual Ag Unlimited Banquet Jan. 27 to honor 20 scholarship recipients and raise money for CAFNR. A lively atmosphere was induced by a silent auction and a raffle. The event cumulated with renowned auctioneer and country singer Leroy Van Dyke presiding over five ringmen in a live auction.
Among the crowd of around 575 alumni present were dozens of volunteers and dedicated members of the alumni association, whose work started long before the doors of the Holiday Inn Expo Center opened. Carol Kiehl Hein, AAA president, described her team as “well-oiled.”
“This is our 14th year, so we have things down pretty well,” she said.
In order to make the event a success, preparations started a year in advance so location plans could be set and donations collected for the auctions. This work has raised $270,000 in the 14 years, and is projected to raise more than $30,000 this year.
“It’s great support for the college,” said Rick Meyer, AAA member and chair of the Ag Unlimited event.
This also was evident in the 20 scholarship recipients’ gratitude, which extended to the auction table in a pair of overalls and a hammer adjacent to a card that read “CAFNR scholarship students’ labor.”
“I paid for the majority of my own way at school, so this was a welcome gift,” said Brandon Kliethermes, a scholarship recipient and junior majoring in agricultural economics. “It makes my burden easier and gives me an opportunity to go to grad school.”
