The Green Bay Packers Foundation has awarded $119,000 to 55 civic and charitable groups throughout the state of Wisconsin in its annual distribution of funds, Gary Rotherham, chairman of the Foundation committee, announced Monday.
With these disbursements, the Foundation has distributed $1,346,726 for charitable purposes since it was established in 1986 by Judge Robert J. Parins, then president of the Packers Corporation, "as a vehicle to assure continued contributions to charity."
The financial breakdown of the Foundation's contributions discloses that 35 grants - aggregating $94,000 - were awarded to Brown County organizations, among them the Libertas Treatment Center, St. Mary's Hospital, Wellspring and Youth Educated in Safety.
Additional grants, totaling $25,000, were made to 20 other groups around the state, among them
The Milwaukee Women's Center, Hoops w/Hope, Habitat for Humanity of Washington County and Family Services of Waukesha.
Rotherham made the grant announcements during two press conferences. The first, Monday morning, was hosted by the Libertas Treatment Center, 1701 Dousman St., Green Bay and the second, Monday afternoon, was hosted by the Milwaukee Women's Center, 611 N. Broadway, Milwaukee.
Bert Swanson, director of resource development at the Libertas Treatment Center, said, "The Libertas Treatment Center is truly grateful for the support of the Green Bay Packers Foundation. The generosity of the Foundation makes a significant difference in a great many lives through the organizations supported by its grants. This gift from the Foundation will help enable Libertas to continue providing compassionate care for kids in inpatient treatment as well as support for their parents and long-term benefits for the Green Bay area and all of northeastern Wisconsin."
Carey Tradewell Monreal, president and CEO of the Milwaukee Women's Center, said, "The Milwaukee Women's Center is proud of its 25-year history of providing domestic violence and substance abuse services for men, women, and children in the Milwaukee community. We are grateful for the support from the Green Bay Packers Foundation for our Children's Program at our Emergency Shelter."
Under the Packers Scholarship Program, established in 2002, an additional $15,000 is being awarded - $7,500 to Scholarships, Inc., for distribution to students in four-year colleges - and $7,500 to NWTC for distribution to students in two-year associate degree or apprenticeship trades programs. The scholarship funds come from National Football League Properties which - at the Packers' request - returns to the Foundation royalty fees paid for using the Packers logo on Wisconsin automobile license plates.
In the past year, the Packers Foundation also has distributed an additional $44,575 on behalf of National Football League Charities - $22,200 in "Community Quarterback" awards to civic leaders for contributions to the community, $12,375 in the NFL's "Coach of the Week" program which honors successful Wisconsin high school coaches on a weekly basis throughout the season, $5,000 for the Team All Star Program Grant and $5,000 in the league's "Hometown Huddle" program.
"We're pleased today to be able to highlight the work of our Foundation," Packers President and CEO Bob Harlan observed. "The grants go to great organizations in communities around the state that perform wonderful services.
"The grants, however, are just one component of the Packers' efforts in the community. Our community relations department works throughout the year with our players and coaches in making appearances at various functions and also oversaw more than 6000 items donated in 2004 for fund-raising efforts. In turn, these donations resulted in more than $1.8 million being raised last year for more than 1,000 organizations. We're proud, too, of the community events we hold at the Lambeau Field Atrium. It's a pleasure to see families enjoying the facility."
The Green Bay Packers Foundation Committee includes, in addition to Mr. Rotherham, Casey Cuene, Andrew Farah, Pat LaViolette, Ed Martin, Mike Wier and Hon. Donald Zuidmulder. Margaret Meyers is secretary of the Foundation.
A complete list of grant recipients:
Brown County Organizations (35):
- AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin
- American Legion Sullivan-Wallen Post
- America's Second Harvest of Wisconsin
- Arthritis Foundation - Wisconsin
- Ashwaubenon Family Resource Center
- Bellin Foundation
- Boys & Girls Club of Green Bay
- Breast Cancer Family Foundation
- Brown County Library
- Center for Childhood Safety-St. Vincent Hosp.
- Cerebral Palsy, Inc.
- Children's Museum of Green Bay
- Concerned Hearts Club of NE Wis.
- Crime Prevention Found of Brown County-DARE
- Disabled American Veterans
- East/West 100-year Celebration Fund
- Ecumenical Partnership for Housing
- Encompass Child Care
- Family Services of NE Wisconsin
- Friends of the Fox River Trail
- Girl Scouts of Lac Baie Council
- Junior Achievement of Wisconsin
- Libertas Treatment Center
- Literacy Council of Brown County
- Mayor's Neighborhood Leadership Council
- Neville Public Museum
- Prevent Blindness Wisconsin
- Reading Connections, Inc.
- Ribbon of Hope
- Salvation Army
- Special Olympics of Wisconsin
- St. Mary's Hospital Medical Center
- Unity
- Wellspring - A Place for Women
- YWCA of Green Bay/De Pere
Organizations Outside Brown County (20):
- CESA8 Victory Olympics, Oconto County
- Community Clothes Closet, Winnebago County
- Family Resource Center of Fond du Lac
- Family Resource Center of Barron County
- Family Service of Waukesha
- Habitat for Humanity of Washington County
- Harbor House Crisis Center, Douglas County
- Hoops With Hope, Milwaukee County
- Malaika Early Learning Center, Milwaukee County
- Milwaukee Women's Center, Inc.
- National Multiple Sclerosis Society of Wis., Waukesha County
- New Beginnings Are Possible, Milwaukee County
- Northwoods Inc. of Wisconsin, Columbia County
- Rawhide, Outagamie County
- Spina Bifida Assoc. of Wis. Inc., Milwaukee County
- St. Croix Family Resource Center, St. Croix County
- TYME OUT Youth Center, Waukesha County
- Wisconsin Foundation for Independent Colleges, Milwaukee County
- Women's Center - Waukesha
- Youth Educated in Safety (Y.E.S.), Outagamie County
