Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy
Component of Total Packers Charity Impact of More Than $4 Million in Past Year
The Green Bay Packers Foundation has awarded $171,237 to 85 civic and charitable groups throughout the state of Wisconsin in its annual distribution of funds, Casey Cuene, chairman of the Foundation committee, announced Thursday.
The groups were guests at a luncheon today at the Lambeau Field Atrium, an event that brought all the recipients together and recognized the outstanding efforts and services performed by each of the organizations.
With these disbursements, the Foundation has distributed more than $1.9 million 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."
Of the Foundation's contributions, 32 grants – aggregating $96,737 – were awarded to Brown County organizations, among them the Brown County Food and Hunger Network, Junior Achievement and Service League.
Additional grants, totaling $74,500, were made to 53 other groups around the state, among them Edgewood High School in Dane County, Milwaukee Rescue Mission and Rawhide Inc. in Outagamie County.
Cuene made the grant announcements during a press conference at the Lambeau Field Atrium prior to the luncheon.
Additionally, under the Packers Scholarship Program, established in 2002, $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 the Green Bay Packers and 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 $57,000 on behalf of National Football League Charities - $20,000 in "Community Quarterback" awards to civic leaders for contributions to the community, $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, $5,000 in the NFL "Join the Team" initiative and $5,000 in the league's "Hometown Huddle" program. By adding a fitness component to the "Hometown Huddle" project, a $15,000 grant was provided through the "Youth Fitness Zone" to build a playground.
"These organizations and their staffs serve as a great example for all of us, for the work they do in their communities," Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy said at the event. "We're pleased to be able to recognize them here today at Lambeau Field."
The Green Bay Packers Foundation Committee includes, in addition to Mr. Cuene, Ave Bie, Andrew Farah, Ed Martin, Diane Roundy, Mark Skogen, Mike Wier, and Hon. Donald Zuidmulder. Margaret Meyers is the secretary of the Foundation.
The grants and other programs highlighted today are two components of the Packers' efforts in the community. Also, the Packers' community outreach department responded to more than 8,000 requests from organizations and individuals in 2008 with donated autographed items for fund-raising efforts that raised more than $2.2 million. Additionally, non-profit groups raised nearly $700,000 by operating Lambeau Field concession stands during the 2008 season. These efforts, combined with direct cash donations by the Green Bay Packers to various charity endeavors, resulted in a comprehensive Packers charity impact of more than $4 million in the past year.
A complete list of grant recipients:
Brown County Organizations (32):
- AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin - Green Bay Branch
- American Legion Sullivan Wallen Post 11
- Brown County Food and Hunger Network
- Center for Childhood Safety
- Cerebral Palsy Inc.
- Chantelles Inc.
- Disabled American Veterans
- Einstein Project (The)
- First Book - Greater Green Bay
- Freedom House Ministries, Inc.
- Gathering Place Inc. (The)
- Golden House
- Greater Green Bay YMCA
- Green Bay Fire Fighters Tribute Foundation
- Home Field Advantage
- Jackie Nitschke Center Inc.
- Junior Achievement of Wisconsin, Inc. - Brown County District Office
- Love Life Ministry
- Notre Dame de la Baie Academy
- Opera for the Young
- Prevent Blindness Wisconsin
- Service League of Green Bay (Back to School Store)
- Special Olympics - Wisconsin - Northeastern Area 5
- St. Norbert College
- St. Vincent Hospital
- University of Wisconsin - Green Bay - Phuture Phoenix
- Libertas
- Salvation Army
- Volunteer Center of Brown County
- St. Mary's Medical Center
- Wisconsin Amateur Hockey Association, Inc.
- YWCA of Green Bay - De Pere
Other Organizations (County) (53):
- Aaron J. Meyer Foundation Inc. (Dane)
- ADVOCAP Inc. (Fond du Lac)
- Aldo Leopold Nature Center (Dane)
- America SCORES Milwaukee (Milwaukee)
- Arc Fox Cities (Winnebago)
- Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh Inc. (Winnebago)
- Boys & Girls Clubs of the Fox Valley (Outagamie)
- Chequamegon Area Mountain Bike Association (Bayfield)
- Chippewa Valley Cultural Association (Chippewa)
- Christine Ann Domestic Abuse Services Inc. (Winnebago)
- Door County Memorial Hospital Foundation (Door)
- East Shore Industries Inc. (Kewaunee)
- Eau Claire Community Parks Association (Eau Claire)
- Edgewood High School of The Sacred Heart (Dane)
- Family Centers of Door County (Door)
- Fellowship of Christian Athletes - Eastern Wisconsin Office (Waukesha)
- Fishing Has No Boundaries Inc. (Sawyer)
- Free SPIRIT Riders Inc. (Fond du Lac)
- Friends of Abused Families Inc. (Washington)
- Friends of Lakeland School (Walworth)
- Geneva Lake History Buffs Inc. (Walworth)
- Gray's Child Development Center, Inc. (Milwaukee)
- HeartLove Place Ministries (Milwaukee)
- HOPE Network for Single Mothers (Waukesha)
- Kiel Soccer Club (Manitowoc)
- Lakeland Family Resource Center (Washburn)
- Leaven (Outagamie)
- Literacy Partners of Kewaunee County Inc. (Kewaunee)
- Literacy Services of Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
- Milwaukee College Preparatory School of Wisconsin Inc. (Milwaukee)
- Milwaukee Rescue Mission (Milwaukee)
- Mount Tabor Center Inc. (Winnebago)
- NAMI Fond du Lac – Friendship Corner (Fond du Lac)
- NAMI Fox Valley (Outagamie)
- Neighbor for Neighbor Inc. (Monroe)
- Neighborhood Housing Inc. (Outagamie)
- North Freedom Public Library (Sauk)
- Rawhide, Inc. (Outagamie)
- Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice, Inc. (Sheboygan)
- SM Legacy (Milwaukee)
- South Shore Education Foundation (Bayfield)
- Southwest Opportunities Center Inc. (Grant)
- St. Mary Central High School (Winnebago)
- Stone Lake Area Historical Society (Sawyer)
- Sturgeon Bay Booster Club Inc. (Door)
- Sunshine Child Center Inc. (Oconto)
- Walbridge School (Dane)
- Wisconsin Alliance for Fire Safety (Waukesha)
- Wisconsin Foundation for Independent Colleges Inc. (Milwaukee)
- Women's Center (The) (Waukesha)
- Woodland Dunes Nature Center and Preserve (Manitowoc)
- Youth Go (Winnebago)
- YWCA of Wausau (Marathon)
Organization Speakers at Press Conference
- Diane Vander Heiden, Brown County Food and Hunger Network
- Laura Bilotti, director, Junior Achievement of Wisconsin Inc. – Brown County District Office
- Cheryl Guc, Service League of Green Bay (Back to School Store)
- Chris Zwettler, athletic director, Edgewood High School of The Sacred Heart (Dane County)
- Patrick Vanderburgh, executive director, Milwaukee Rescue Mission
- Gini Hendrickson and Steve Dorosz, Rawhide Inc. (Outagamie County)
Green Bay Packers
Casey Cuene, Chairman of Green Bay Packers Foundation Committee (speaker)
Mark Murphy, President/CEO, Green Bay Packers (speaker)
Margaret Meyers, Secretary of Green Bay Packers Foundation
Ave Bie, Green Bay Packers Foundation Committee
Andrew Farah, Green Bay Packers Foundation Committee
Ed Martin, Green Bay Packers Foundation Committee
Diane Roundy, Green Bay Packers Foundation Committee
Mark Skogen, Green Bay Packers Foundation Committee
Mike Wier, Green Bay Packers Foundation Committee
Hon. Donald Zuidmulder, Green Bay Packers Foundation Committee
