AVORE was established in 1972 by a group of veterinarians and veterinary surgeons with a passion for veterinary orthopedics and a commitment to learn and share information. The group established an official non-profit organization 1986 (see ByLaws for more details).
The AVORE Group meets twice a year. The goal of the meetings is to stimulate vigorous open and honest interaction from multiple sources and viewpoints regarding orthopedic topics. All attendees are therefore required to come prepared to present a short topic and to participate in the discussions that follow. Unusual and/or complicated clinical cases, new or modified technique developments, equipment information, orthopedic tips, queries for help and presentation of research projects and results are all encouraged. While formal presentations are not required, organized thoughts help the meetings proceed efficiently. Computer presentations have become the standard but radiograph view-boxes and overhead transparencies are also available (at present, video presentations need to be on computer).
A guest speaker is generally invited to present a pertinent orthopedic topic for one of the meeting sessions.
To maintain the interactive nature of this meeting the number of participants are necessarily limited, therefore pre-registration is important.
The networking potential that develops from the meeting is also an important benefit that is frequently utilized between meetings.
AVORE also funds selected research projects and studies in the field of veterinary orthopedic surgery.
Avore meant so much to Steve and
I would like to thank our Avore family for being so supportive and just plain
ole amazing during this time:
On the morning of Steve's passing, a rainbow appeared out the front window of
our home-a message of hope. On the day of his funeral another rainbow
appeared over the church as Steve took one last unique and fitting ride on a
Harley en route to his final resting place in the foothills of the beautiful
Olympic Mountains. To all of you, our wonderful Avore family I want to
express our deepest thank you for all the messages and gestures of love
and support that you have shared with Steve, with us, and with one
another. I wish for all of you a piece of the joy, hope, and love that
has been God's gift to us during the last 2 years of Steve's illness and
passing. You all are the best
Sincerely,
Bev Stoll
In memoriam
Steven Gabriel Stoll
January 25, 2010
Holy Rosary Catholic Church
Edmonds, Washington
We have in this life lost a
good man and brushed wings with him as he has passed on to his new life: Steven
Gabriel Stoll.
I first met Steven as an
Intern at the Animal Medical Center in New York City in the late ‘60’s, where, in
1971, he became my first surgical resident. A great friendship and a respected
collegial relation developed.
Steven was a man of peculiar
grace and great passion, an opinionated person, but if you came to him for
help, he would give you the shirt off his back. Many times I would ask him for
a favor and his response was “I would be honored”. I would prepare lectures for
various surgical groups and need slides. He would go out of his way to find
these slides, even late into the night, and have them in the mail the next day.
I would call him to discuss cases or my practice, and he always had time to
talk to me on the phone – more than once I could hear the nurses yelling in the
background for him to get going.
Steve was a passionate man;
passionate about his family, passionate about his friends, and passionate about
his profession as a Veterinary Surgeon and a great teacher. He was passionate
about his faith – that kept him moving onward.
Often at the AVORE meetings,
a group of Veterinary Surgeons, a group that he loved dearly, we would have
long discussions about things he cared about and things that I cared about. He
once told me “I can’t think of too many people I would rather argue with than
you.”
Once at an AVORE meeting in
the summer time, I think it was the Hacienda Winery in Sonoma, the owner
pointed out a chair at the edge of the tasting room. This chair had been
occupied by Cardinal Menzenti during a visit. Steven, in a moment of pride over
his country of heritage, Hungary, with a touch of emotion, reminded me that the
good Cardinal had stood with the Hungarian people in the streets against the
Russian tyranny during the takeover of Hungary in 1956. Steve said to me,
“Please take my picture” as he grabbed his beloved little Shannon and had to be
photographed sitting in the same chair that Cardinal Menzenti had occupied.
We shared stories of our
children, accolades and frustrations, at which time I reminded Steve that we
had both been 18 years old once upon a time.
I remember his stories about
working in Germany and at the end of a long day, driving over the Italian Alps
with a mission in mind. He later married that mission, and she is here with us
today - Beverly.
Steve was passionate about
his faith. He had a firm belief in God. In my memories, I go back to a certain
dinner at Squaw Creek: He grabbed my
hand and he grabbed Bev’s hand. He had to say grace. For some reason that image
sticks with me. I know Steve was prepared to be with his maker.
Steve loved AVORE. He loved
to meet with his colleagues, who he loved, and share stories of Orthopedic
surgery, which he also loved. He could get rather excited and agitated about
the screw densities holding the plate to the distal fragment of bone – very
exciting!
As I leave you with these
stories about Steve, I want to also leave this assembly of wonderful people
with a thought in honor of Steve. Please tell the people that you love that you
love them now. Please tell your friends - that you’re my friend, and let
all those people that you treasure know it in this life before, it is too late.
This thought is dear to me
because of what happened between my father and I. In those days it was the culture for men in the family to not
express inner feelings to one another.
As a result I never told my father that I loved him until the last time
we saw each other when he was hospitalized for the last time – I was 40 years
old. Please don’t let that happen.
Godspeed, Steven Gabriel
Stoll. I love you and Bev both. Steve,
you are truly one of my heroes.
Thank you,
Starlin Gary Brown
This thought is dear to me
because of what happened between my father and I. In those days it was the culture for men in the family to not
express inner feelings to one another.
As a result I never told my father that I loved him until the last time
we saw each other when he was hospitalized for the last time – I was 40 years
old. Please don’t let that happen.