Vogel serves as executive director of Kathy's House.
The Green Bay Packers Foundation has awarded $119,400 to 39 civic and charitable groups throughout the state of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan in its annual distribution of funds, Gary Rotherham, chairman of the Foundation committee, announced today.
The 39 groups were guests at a luncheon today at the Lambeau Field Atrium. The luncheon is a new event designed to bring all the recipients together and recognize the outstanding efforts and services performed by each of the organizations.
With these disbursements, the Foundation has distributed $1,474,126 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 19 grants - aggregating $71,800 - were awarded to Brown County organizations, among them the Family Violence Center/Golden House, Next Door Theatre for Children and the Neville Public Museum.
Additional grants, totaling $47,600, were made to 20 other groups around the state and Upper Michigan, among them the Aldo Leopold Nature Center in Madison, Family Resource Center in Eau Claire and M&M Community Foundation (for Blesch Field Restoration) in Menominee, Mich.
Rotherham made the grant announcements during a press conference at the Lambeau Field Atrium prior to the luncheon.
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 Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (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 $51,500 on behalf of National Football League Charities - $5,000 in "Community Quarterback" awards to civic leaders for contributions to the community, $20,000 in "Junior Community Quarterback" awards, $12,000 in the NFL's "Coach of the Week" program which honors successful Wisconsin high school coaches on a weekly basis throughout the season, $4,500 for the Team All Star Program grant, $5,000 in NFL "Join the Team" initiative and $5,000 in the league's "Hometown Huddle" program.
"We're excited today to be able to recognize the efforts of our Foundation," Packers Executive Vice President and COO John Jones observed. "The grants go to great organizations that perform wonderful services in communities.
"The grants, however, are just one part of the Packers' efforts in our communities. Our community relations department works with our players and coaches in making appearances at various functions and also oversaw nearly 7,000 items donated in 2005 for fund-raising efforts. In turn, these donations resulted in more than $1.5 million being raised last year for nearly 7,000 organizations and individuals. Our four major community events at Lambeau Field are other aspects of our program. It's great to see families enjoy the facility during those events."
The Green Bay Packers Foundation Committee includes, in addition to Mr. Rotherham, Ave Bie, 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 (19):
- American Legion - Sullivan-Wallen Post
- Boys & Girls Club of Green Bay
- Brown County Library
- Cerebral Palsy, Inc. (Common Paths Child Care Center)
- Crime Prevention Foundation of Brown County (DARE)
- Disabled American Veterans
- Encompass Child Care (Big Event for Little Kids)
- Family Violence Center/Golden House
- Friends of Fisk Pool (Greater Green Bay Community Foundation)
- Green Bay Storm, Inc.
- Libertas Treatment Center
- Literacy Council of Brown County
- Neville Public Museum Corporation
- Next Door Theatre For Children
- Notre Dame de la Baie Academy
- Prevent Blindness Wisconsin - NE Chapter
- Salvation Army (Kroc Community Center Campaign)
- Service League of Green Bay (Back to School Store)
- St. Mary's Hospital Medical Center
Organizations Outside Brown County (20):
- Above The Clouds, Milwaukee
- Aldo Leopold Nature Center, Monona, Wis.
- ARC Fox Cities, Menasha, Wis.
- Boys & Girls Club of Fox Valley, Inc., Appleton, Wis.
- Door County YMCA, Sturgeon Bay, Wis.
- Family Resource Center for Eau Claire County, Inc., Eau Claire, Wis.
- Harbor House Crisis Shelter, Superior, Wis.
- Health Care Network, Inc., Racine, Wis.
- HeartLove Place Ministries, Milwaukee
- HIV/AIDS Ministry Project of Catholic Charities Diocese of La Crosse, Stevens Point, Wis.
- Kathy's House, Inc., Milwaukee
- Lakeshore Community Action Program (Lakeshore Family Resources), Manitowoc, Wis.
- Latino Arts, Inc., Milwaukee
- LEAVEN, Menasha, Wis.
- M&M Community Foundation (Blesch Field Restoration), Menominee, Mich.
- Repairers of the Breach, Milwaukee
- Ronald McDonald House Charities of NE Wisconsin, Wauwatosa, Wis.
- Wisconsin EMS Association, Franksville, Wis.
- Youth Educated in Safety (Y.E.S.), Appleton, Wis.
- Zink the Zebra Foundation, Mequon, Wis.
