Buck Up Scholarship: The Story of Why Not?

A little over a year ago....one of my friends reminded me about an IDEA that I had earlier that year. The original idea was to create a way to supply business grants to small businesses and entrepreneurs that were able to Buck Up and take those first steps in starting their business.....BECAUSE THOSE ARE SCARY STEPS. 

After doing a little research, we found out quick that there is quite a bit involved in a cause like that & we didn't have the experience working it, to pull that off in the timeline we had.

So....we put our heads together and thought of a way that we could achieve the same sort of mission, but on a more do-able level.......THUS the Buck Up Scholarship Fund was created. 

The mission is to have others SHARE their stories of what it took for them to BUCK UP & DO whatever it was that they felt led to do. I can speak from experience and tell you that I WOULD NOT BE DOING WHAT I'M DOING RIGHT NOW IF A STRING OF PEOPLE WOULD NOT HAVE ENCOURAGED ME ALONG THE WAY. 

ENCOURAGEMENT is SO important, because....... When a person does something diFfeRent there are A LOT more nay-sayers out there than encouragers. And if you disagree with that....you may be able to agree that the nay-sayers are who we hear. 

Last year was the first year for The Buck Up Scholarship Fund & I can't tell you how many people asked me WHY we were doing it! It was SO frustrating to me, because all I could think of is: WHY NOT?!

When I first started working my auction business FULL-TIME the two needs that were the MOST apparent to me getting started was ENCOURAGEMENT & FUNDS. Well....it just so happens that Buck Up Auctions knows how to ENCOURAGE PEOPLE to raISE funds. Taking all that into consideration: WHY NOT invite people to share their stories of how they overcame fear, rejection, confusion, a difficult situation? WHY NOT bring our friends, family, & supporters together to support others? WHY NOT?! How can we expect people to ENCOURAGE & SUPPORT us, if we can't do that for others. 

I sat here earlier this week a little upset with myself that I didn't focus MORE time on this event, but not exactly knowing how I would've. Our business is growing. Our team is growing & we've been able to help more causes and individuals this year than any other. That's what we want. Just as our business is growing....this cause will grOW....just like the Good Lord needs it. More people will SUPPORT it, more people will know about it, more students will benefit from it, and more people will be encouraged by it. 

We literally got the event last year together in a matter of weeks & the fund was able to supply 3 scholarships to 3 of the 93 APPLICANTS! CLICK HERE to read more about this year's recipients & HERE to read their BUCK UP ESSAYS, and HERE for general information about the scholarship.

Catherine Winkles $1000 & Phillip Ho $500
Brenham ISD

Tyler Copeland $500
Round Top - Carmine ISD

The scholarship committee comprised of 4 individuals chose the winning essays. The Buck Up Auction Crew went through and numbered and blacked out any information that would give away who the applicant was and where they were from. After the recipients were selected The Buck Up Auction Crew read EVERY ESSAY & responded back to the applicant with words of encouragement. 

In that....we realized that some of these individuals were probably never asked to share a story of a time when they had to BUCK UP, step outside their comfort zone, and think about how that changed themselves and people around them. It was GOOSE BUMP CITY! There were some POWERFUL essays. One of the members of the scholarship committee told me they would have liked to award more! With time....with time!

This became much BIGGER than the idea! We are accepting auction items to auction off on Saturday to raise money for the 2016 Scholarship Fund. I'm aware that there is A LOT going on on Saturday. If you'd like to support the fund & can't make it give us a call at 979.421.0325 or shoot us an email at hdskaspar.buckup@gmail.com to make bidding/donation arrangements. We plan to have a LIVE & silent auction & if attendance & donations allow, we will also have a heads or tails raffle. The Tip Jar Gypsies will be playing right after the fundRAISING stops. You'll get a chance to hear from this year's applicants as well!! Instead of a bounce house The Buck Up Kids will be holding a school supply drive that we will donate the items to area schools. We are also working to make this organization a 501(c)3. We are interviewing individuals that have an interest in this cause for the board & also have one more spot open in the Scholarship Committee for 2016. We will have a ballot box at the event where you can drop off nominations. Please leave contact information. 

This scholarship is open to anyone living in LaGrange, Brenham, Giddings and anywhere in between there and Carmine. If you are a high school student & are in one of the following school districts: Brenham, LaGrange, Giddings, RTC, Fayetteville, Burton, it is also open to you. There is no age limit. As long as you are pursuing higher education you can apply. Higher Education is: Jr. College, College, University, Licensing school (welding, real estate, auctioneer, etc.), Clergy etc. 

Please go to the website & read the essays of this year's recipients & if you applied and were not awarded a scholarship this year...APPLY AGAIN!!

ALL funds from this FUNDRAISER goes straight into the scholarship fund!

H.Kaspar TXL 17037

RE-affirmed & Ready to Go!

This past Saturday was the annual RTC Education Foundation Round Up. The event was GREAT. We had GREAT auction items for the LIVE & silent auctions. The food was delicious. The music was toe-tappin' good & the caliber of people there were TOP NOTCH! A big THANK YOU goes out to all the donors and the FANTASTIC group of bidders we had. You guys truly made it FuN & a HUGE success!!!

Photo credit goes to Melissa Wickel!! Great Job! Lace Dress comes from Junk Gypsy Company & Turquoise Necklace from Brenham Saddle Shop.)

This auction also REaffirmed a few things for me. Unless you've gone into business for yourself before, it's hard for me to explain ALL the different thoughts that can go through a person's head like..... Did I make the right move? Can I hack it in a sea of other auctioneers? Can I hang with the best of'm? Will there be a FUTURE in this? 

Let alone all the specific BUSINESS things that go through your head & processing what you hear from other people in the industry: Am I being fair? Am I shortchanging myself? Is my image "professional" enough? Is it unique enough? Am I holding true to ME? Am I taking care of my voice?

WELL....you GREAT, WoNDerFuL people of ROUND TOP CARMINE.... You gave me a moment of reaffirmation. I won't go into every single little detail.... or conversation... or my epiphanies, if you will...

Let me just say that I had a few conversations, with several people, about a plethora of rAndOM topics. ALL of them were just what my SOUL needed, in JUST the right "areas of concern" that were millin' around in my mind.

I prayed a BIG prayer before that auction & the GOOD LORD delivered.

Folks...I have a couple auctions coming up. The next one scheduled thus far is a benefit auction for Dana Herzog Srubar. She is a young mother (early 30s) that has been diagnosed with breast cancer & has already started chemo treatments. The auction is February 22nd at Chicken Ranch Dance Hall in Nechanitz. Please shoot me a message or give me a call if you are interested in donating to the LIVE or silent auctions & please keep in mind when you are looking for something to do on February 22nd. Black Cat Choir will be performing. For all of you business owners & political candidates out there. Donating items & bidding on items makes for a GREAT PR campaign in these little small towns - where TV ad campaigns are non-existent.

Also....starting February 9th - We can start accepting consignments for the 1st GENERAL CONSIGNMENT AUCTION Buck Up Auctions will be holding this year. It is at the NEW Ledbetter Fire Hall (right beside the old dance hall) one block off of HWY 290 - ACROSS the Highway from Stuermer Store. I'll be blogging more about it later, BUT please mark your calendars to be there & PLEASE be thinking of a few items you may like to consign & get some money for.

Many, many BLESSINGS ya'lls way! Buck Up Baby! Come to an auction! Ask me some questions! Leave me some comments! Also...pick the picture you like best. I have to send one off to the National Auctioneer Association & I want to pick THE BEST! I appreciate all of it!

I´m a WONDERFUL Woman!!



Hey! Hey everybody!! I have something cool to share!! So we get back from Floresville this weekend (where my daughter LITTLE MISS KYLEE JO) was the Flower Girl in my friend´s wedding, and what do I find in my inbox?

Kylee in her Flower Girl dress!!

A message from Mrs. Jo with the WONDERFUL WOMEN´S NETWORK! The ladies in charge over there decided they wanted to do a "Wonderful Woman Showcase" on ME!!

First of all, I am MORE than HONORED. There are SO many WONDERFUL, ACCOMPLISHED, INTRIGUING, BEAUTIFUL women in our little coastal paradise that they could´ve picked any of them. (Believe me ladies....your time is coming!!) Mrs. Jo Blaylock did a FANTASTIC job and made me sound PRETTY DARN GOOD!

To read what she wrote about me and surf around on their BRAND SPANKIN´ NEW WEBSITE click RIGHT HERE!

Just to tell you a little more about this Wonderful Women´s Network...it is this REALLY COOL email network that started out in the ROCKPORT, Texas area. It started out as something kinda small that was helpful to a FEW people and turned into something KINDA BIG that helps A LOT of people. I mean...people are getting this EMAIL NEWSLETTER all over the WORLD now! You can read LOTS more about it in the "About Me" section of the WEBPAGE. That´s right! It keeps getting bigger and bigger, that now...THERE´S A WEBSITE!

I do want to share a little more about the ladies behind it. Mrs. Barbara Gurtner met me just shortly after my husband and I first moved to Rockport. I was BIG and PREGNANT and was helping film a commercial for THE NAUTICAL FLEA MARKET. Click here to learn more! Anyways... She just kinda scooped me up, got my email address, and put me on that network, just as soon as she got home (it seems like). There were all kinds of cool things on the network like: babysitters, garage sales, pets that needed adopting, upcoming events in the area, etc. It was a refreshing feeling b/c we didn´t know a soul when we moved here. I just REALLY think she is one of the SWEETEST, most WELCOMING ladies you´ll every meet. Thank you SO much for that! Folks, I don´t think she´s ever met a person, ate at a restaurant, or walked into a shop she doesn´t like. She´s JUST GOOD PEOPLE!

Mrs. Jo Blaylock was the lady that interviewed me! I sure took a likin´ to her, after just talking to her for a few minutes. There´s just somethin´ about her. She´s not trying to be anything she´s not. She´s just that darn cool! She was a CAPTAIN on the University of Texas Dance Team, worked ALL OVER the broadcasting industry (Radio, TV, Newspaper), is a PUBLISHED writer, was a BARREL-RACER, and knows where CARMINE (my teeny tiny hometown) is!!

I REALLY, REALLY, APPRECIATE this little shout out they gave me! All you BLOGGERS...FOLLOW  their blog and EVERYONE needs to be sure to CHECK BACK for all the WONDERFUL WOMEN that will be showcased from now on!!

I´ll have another BLOG posted sometime after this weekend! I have some REALLY COOL things going on with all this AUCTION business and I can´t wait to SHARE it with you guys!! BUCK UP BABY! Things are fixin´ to get interesting!!