Get Ready for a Night of Heroes at the Gentle Doctor Benefit

“I think a hero is any person really intent on making this a better place for all people.” — Maya Angelou

The University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine’s 31^st Annual Gentle Doctor Benefit will begin at 5 p.m., April 7, 2018, at the Holiday Inn Executive Center in Columbia. The theme for this year’s event is, “Not All Heroes Wear Capes.”

The college’s only fundraiser for veterinary student scholarships, the Gentle Doctor Benefit includes live and silent auctions, raffles, musical entertainment and dinner. The event draws students, faculty, staff, alumni, families of students, and supporters of the College of Veterinary Medicine.

“The Gentle Doctor Benefit (GDB) is a wonderful way to bring supporters of the college together to raise money for our students,” said Emily Reyland, executive assistant for Advancement who is heading up this year’s event. “It provides support to each incoming, first-year vet student.”

Reyland possessed event planning and entertainment experience before taking over as the GDB organizer. She earned a bachelor’s degree in film studies from Purdue and served as an assistant stage manager for the school’s theater department. She also worked as an audio/video assistant for Purdue football and basketball games, and as operations coordinator for Audio Productions, Inc., in Nashville. She planned and presented about 20 events in her previous position as administrative assistant for CVM Dean Carolyn Henry, DVM, MS, ACVIM, when the dean served as the CVM associate dean for research and graduate studies.

Reyland is especially excited about one new feature added to this year’s Gentle Doctor Benefit.

“This year, the bidding will be entirely online for the silent auctions,” she said. “The folks who have registered for the event will receive an email with instructions on how to bid online. At that point, they can go online and register to bid.

“The new auction software will update participants with the current highest bid, and it will alert them when they are outbid on an item,” she explained. “It’s a really easy way to keep track of what they have bid on without having to revisit each part of the room where the items are set up. The night of the event, there will be student volunteers roaming the room with iPads, to help our heroes bid online.”

 “If you can tell me who your heroes are, I can tell you how you’re going to turn out. It’s really important to have the right heroes.” — Warren Buffet

Following the silent auctions, there will be a live auction. Items available during the live auction include the following:

• A Pool Party with the Dean. The winning bidder and three friends will join Dean Carolyn Henry and her family for a pool party at her home in Columbia. There will be music, sports and barbecue catered by Dickey’s BBQ. The dean will provide a Charleston-themed gift basket, including items from her favorite city. The package also includes accommodations at the Holiday Inn Executive Center.
• Ultimate Music City Getaway. The package includes two nights for two people in the renovated Hilton Nashville Airport five miles from downtown, two tickets to the Grand Ole Opry, two tickets to the Nashville Symphony performance of choice at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, a tour of a working audio broadcasting studio, four tour passes to the Jackalope brewery, and four tickets to the Adventure Science Center.
• A Signed Guitar. This handcrafted Canadian Seagull cedar-top acoustic guitar, made in LaPatrie, Quebec, Canada, has been signed by some of the biggest stars in country music: Trace Adkins, Jason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Garth Brooks, Luke Bryan, Easton Corbin, Eric Church, Brett Eldredge, Marin Morris, Eric Paslay, Thomas Rhett, Chris Stapleton, Cole Swindell, Brett Young, Chris Young. Charles Kelly of Lady Antebellum played this beautiful instrument during an acoustic performance in Nashville.
• Lions, Tigers and Bears, Oh My! This package includes a three-hour, behind-the-scenes golf cart tour of the St. Louis Zoo with CVM alumnus and director emeritus of the zoo Bill Boever, DVM. The tour can accommodate up to eight people. The package includes a one-night stay at the Parkway Hotel STL.
• Six bottles of Justin Vineyards 2009 Isosceles Reserve. One of America’s most sought-after wines, Isosceles Reserve spends two full years in new French barriques before bottling. After a year of careful cellaring, the result is a deep, complex wine with both power and finesse, and exceptional aging potential.
• BBQ X 2. MFA, Inc. has provided a Camp Chef SmokePro Lux Pellet Grill, with a digital temperature display, simple control panel, and 875 inches of cooking space.
• There will also be a commercial quality, custom smoker from Spicewine Ironworks. Fully insulated with double-wall construction, this smoker features an extra-large, multi-rack cooking area and easy-slide adjustable shelving. Pet Center will deliver this smoker anywhere in Missouri.

More information about the event can be found at Gentle Doctor Benefit.