ASF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT 

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 Steele Burden Memorial Orangerie Auction
Baton Rouge, LA:  October 29, 2008

                              
                 Photos of Burden Plants, Pre-Auction Festivities & Live Auction Bidding
                                             (Click on Thumbnails to Enlarge)    

"On behalf of the Burden Horticulture Society, we would like to extend our deep appreciation for your attendance and agreeing to be the auctioneer for the event.  The proceeds from the auction will allow us to enhance the very beautiful Steele Burden Memorial Orangeie.  Again, thank you for your support of the Burden Horticulture Society at the Burden Center." 

Ginnie B., Chair, Burden Horticulture Society:  November 8, 2008

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Arthritis Foundation of LA Auction
Baton Rouge, LA:  October 24, 2008

Top Selling Item:

Dinner for Six (6) at Either Bittersweet Plantation or White Oak Plantation
Accompanied By Mayor-President Kip Holden & His Wife
Prepared By World Class Louisiana Chef John Folse

High Bid:  $5,000!!!

                                                                         
                         Photos of Auction Bidders Listening Intently Before Auction Begins
                                             (Click on Thumbnails to Enlarge)

 Other Recent Auctions Dates for The Arthritis Foundation of LA:
October 19, 2007; June 19, 2007
 

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Blue Cross / Blue Shield / United Way Auction
October 23, 2007, Baton Rouge, LA

Click Here for Handwritten Testimonial from Christy Reeves, Director, BC/BS Foundation

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Other Benefit Auctions Since ASF's Inception:

St. Thomas More Catholic Church Auction
Baton Rouge, LA:  May 6, 2006; April 30, 2005

Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church/School Auction
Baton Rouge, LA:  March 26, 2006

Comite Christian Academy
Baton Rouge, LA:  October 16, 2004

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St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Atlanta, GA:  May 22, 2004
 

St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital is the official charity of ALL auctioneers, and the auctioneers, through various fund-raising auctions, have raised in excess of $5 MILLION for the hospital over the last several years.

Through August of 2008, ASF auctioned the infamous and colorful St. Jude ties, which Robert always wears at ASF R/E auctions (here's a photo of one:  ).

Many of ASF's tie auctions were ENORMOUSLY successful, with the highest bid on a single tie being $350!!  In fact, ASF received several items of recognition from St. Jude's for the tie auctions (here are photos of those:    ,  ).  During the four years ASF auctioned these ties, ASF matched every dollar raised through the tie auctions in contributions to St. Jude.

In late 2007, St. Jude's informed all auctioneers that, upon the depletion of existing tie inventories (ASF's last available tie was auctioned August 7, 2008) the tie program would be discontinued.  The reason for the discontinuance was that the ties were becoming so commonplace that auction results were being hampered (a fact borne out by the fact that the last tie ASF auctioned also entailed the lowest final bid of only $26!!). 

In accordance with the challenge issued by St. Jude for auctioneers to be creative in future fund-raising ventures, ASF is pleased to announce that, at each of its R/E auctions from September 2008 and beyond. we'll implement the following fund raising program:

1.  A $50 gift certificate to a local restaurant will be auctioned.

2.  To enhance intrigue, the successful bidder will also be invited up to a table to pull a single card
      from among eight cards turned face down on the auctioneer table.

3.  If the card pulled is the Ace of Spades, the high bidder will also receive, in addition to the $50 gift
     certificate, a $100 gift certificate to the same restaurant.

4.   As was the case with the ties, ASF will match every dollar raised from the auction of the gift
      certificates and forward the combined contributions on to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital
      in Memphis, TN.