As part of its mission to fund research with direct application to the profession, the American Association of Swine Veterinarians Foundation seeks research proposals for funding in 2011. Proposals are due February 1, 2011, and may request a maximum of $6000 (US$) per project. The selection and announcement of projects for funding will take place in March.

Proposed research must fit into one of the five action areas stated in the AASV Foundation mission (see sidebar).

Proposals must also contain the following:

1. Identification of the issue.
2. Background information.
3. Description of the project.
4. Timeline.
5. Budget.
6. Plan to apply results for maximum return to swine veterinarians, veterinary students, or both.

No project timeline is to exceed 12 months. A final report will be due within 60 days of stated project completion. For more information, or to submit a proposal, contact AASV Foundation, 830 26^th Street, Perry, IA 50220; Tel: 515-465-5255; Fax: 515-465-3832; E-mail: aasv@aasv.org.

Foundation hot on the trail to auction success in Phoenix

The heat is on as the AASV Foundation gears up for another exciting auction at the AASV 2011 Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona! The past three auctions have raised nearly $70,000 each, and the auction committee is eager to continue this success during the 2011 live and silent auctions on Monday, March 7, at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort. This key fundraiser provides financial support for a number of foundation programs, including scholarships, externship grants, and travel stipends for veterinary students to attend the annual meeting.

Donate an item for the auction!

The auction success is due not only to lively and generous bidding at the meeting, but also to the donation of auction items by AASV members and industry sponsors. For the 2011 auction, the foundation is once again requesting item donations to fill the auction catalog, and encourages AASV members to lead the way.

Submit donations by December 15

YOU can be a part of the auction fun and take pride in supporting the foundation by donating an item for the 2011 auction! To do so, please visit the AASVF Web site at www.aasv.org/foundation and complete the donation form to provide details about your auction item. Submit the form to the AASVF by December 15, 2010. Your contribution will be recognized in the printed auction catalog as well as on the auction Web site and in AASV e-Letter announcements about the auction.

Successful auction items in the past have included handcrafted items, hunting and fishing trips, sporting equipment, electronics, artwork, clothing items, tickets to sporting events, and even lawnmowers and utility vehicles! Be creative and have fun! Remember, all donations to the AASV Foundation are tax deductible. Proceeds from the auction enable funding for AASV programs designed to “ensure the future…create a legacy” for swine veterinarians.

Your AASV Foundation:

• Administers endowments for the Howard Dunne and Alex Hogg Memorial lectures;
• Administers funding for Veterinary Student Scholarships;
• Administers the Hogg Scholarship for a swine veterinarian pursuing an MS or PhD;
• Co-sponsors travel stipends for veterinary students attending the AASV Annual Meeting;
• Provides swine externship grants ($200 to $500 each) to veterinary students;
• Funds swine research with direct application to the profession;
• Administers funding for the National Pork Industry Foundation Veterinary Internship Stipends;
• Has provided support for member recollection videos;
• Has funded AASV student intern.

Perfect weather greets golfers

On what may have been the most perfect day of weather Iowa has seen all year, 55 golfers teed up for the AASV Foundation 2010 Midwest Golf Outing on August 25. The beautiful day was a welcome contrast to the thunderstorms that plagued last year’s event held at the same location, Fox Ridge Golf Club in Dike, Iowa.

Golfers competed for team bragging rights in the four-person team, best-ball tournament. At the end of the day, it was only the score on the tie-breaking hole that separated the top two teams. In addition to the team competition, the course was peppered with a number of individual contests designed to test both skill and power. The winners were recognized during the program and dinner that followed the golfing.

In addition to presenting awards to the contest winners, Dr Ron White, event organizer, thanked golfers and sponsors for supporting the AASV Foundation by participating in the golf outing, and recognized golf-hole sponsors DeWaay Capital Management, Elanco Animal Health, Newport Laboratories, and Pfizer Animal Health. He also expressed appreciation to AASV member Dr Steve Menke, owner of Fox Ridge Golf Club, and his son Mike, the course pro, for their hospitality hosting the event for the past 2 years. To conclude the program, Dr Butch Baker, AASV past president, provided an update on recent activities at the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Proceeds from the outing support the AASV Foundation and its programs that benefit veterinary students and swine veterinarians. These programs include veterinary-student scholarships, travel stipends to help students attend the AASV Annual Meeting, research grants, externship grants, AASV student-intern support, National Pork Industry Foundation internship stipends, distinguished member videos, the Heritage Award, and the Howard Dunne and Alex Hogg Memorial lectures.

Contest winners

First flight

1st place team hosted by Intervet/Schering-Plough (score 65): Dave Iverson, Dave Bomgaars, Jeff Blythe, Roger Green

2nd place team hosted by AMVA-PLIT (score 65): Tom Frey, Michael Albian, Craig Johnson, Andrew Vernon

3rd place team hosted by NPPC (score 67): Cody McKinley, Tom Samp, Amber Knudsen

Second flight

1st place team hosted by Intervet/Schering-Plough (score 72): Warren Wilson, Baxter Gutknecht, Jim Moody, Chuck Groom

2nd place team hosted by Pfizer Animal Health (score 72): Ron White, Butch Baker, Cameron Schmitt, Bryan Myers

3rd place team hosted by Pfizer Animal Health (score 73): Mike Kuhn, Daryl Olsen, Michelle Sprague, Bob Blomme

Individual contests

Closest to the pin (hole #4): Amber Knudsen

Closest to the pin (hole #6): Tom Samp

Closest to the pin (hole #15): Darrell Neuberger

Longest putt (hole #9): Mark Brinkman

Longest putt (hole #18): Brian Kremer

Longest drive contest #1: Mike Kuhn

Longest drive contest #2: Amber Knudsen

Longest drive, female: Michelle Sprague