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Friday, May 17, 2013
'Milwaukee's Finest' Campaign in final stretch of fundraising
May 17, 2013 10:00 AM
The 2013 “Milwaukee's Finest" Campaign, presented by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) Milwaukee Chapter, is nearing the end of its 10-week run with a final push to fundraise dollars toward research of cystic fibrosis and a cure.
 
The campaign consists of eight young professionals who were selected in March for their dedication to community involvement on top of their professional success. Each selected honoree has been challenged to raise a minimum of $2,500.

This year's campaign aims to raise a total $35,000 toward CFF's mission to advance research of a cure and support individuals and families impacted by cystic fibrosis, a chronic lung disease that causes mucus to accumulate in the lungs and digestive tract among other parts of the body.

Last year's inaugural campaign generated just under $25,000.

The 2013 honorees, designated in March from a pool of 30 applicants and nominees, have spent much of the last 10 weeks organizing individual fundraising initiatives and coming together to learn more about the disease.

"For people to commit their time and energy and resources to the 'Finest' event for the past 10 weeks without maybe a direct connection (to the disease) for me has been really eye opening on how committed some of these people are," said Rick Verthein, co-chair of Milwaukee's Finest.

One of those honorees is Julie Gahl, account executive at Marcus Hotels and Resorts.

While Gahl does not have a personal connection to cystic fibrosis, she watched her brother, Dave, cope with an autoimmune disease in high school. After research helped her brother manage his disease, Gahl said that she wanted to help drive forward research on a cure for cystic fibrosis to benefit others afflicted by chronic illness.

"I was grateful to be given this opportunity to be able to give back to another organization," Gahl said.

Honoree Ray Poole, global product manager at Eaton's Cooper Power Systems, has a much stronger tie to cystic fibrosis. He has watched his wife, Rebecca, live with the disease throughout the past 15 years that they've been together.

"I've got a pretty in-depth first-hand experience with that, and I've got quite a bit of motivation to be involved (in the campaign)," Poole said.

After creating an online donation platform, accepting donations from his network of family and friends, receiving funding from his company and organizing a self-defense benefit event, Poole will hold a final fundraising event tonight at Firefly in Wauwatosa. The community event, scheduled for 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., will include a raffle along with appetizers provided by Poole.

Admission costs $10 at the door. Firefly is located at 7754 Harwood Ave. in Wauwatosa.

The "Milwaukee's Finest" Campaign will officially wrap up on Thursday, May 23, with a recognition celebration to salute honorees and pay tribute to the honoree who has raised the most funds with the Breath of Life Award.

The celebration is open to the public and will start at 7 p.m. at Coast, located at 931 E. Wisconsin Ave. in Milwaukee. Tickets at the door cost $65.

For more information about CFF and the "Milwaukee's Finest" Campaign, visit www.cff.org/Chapters/wisconsin/. Sponsors of this year's campaign include BizTimes Media, FM102.1, Action Coach, The CF Care Center, White Dog Photography and Design, and Zilli Hospitality Group.

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'Stamp Out Hunger' Drive collects 527,000 pounds of food
May 17, 2013 10:00 AM
Hunger Task Force's largest annual one-day food drive, the National Association of Letter Carriers' “Stamp Out Hunger” initiative, generated 527,000 pounds of food within Milwaukee County to support Hunger Task Force in providing food to area residents in need.
 
The Milwaukee County drive, held last Saturday, was part of a statewide effort in which nearly 5,000 postal carriers collected food donations on their delivery routes.

Much of the food collected will help sustain Hunger Task Force's food supply throughout the summer, "a high-risk time period for hunger" when kids are not able to eat meals at school.

"We want to thank postal customers all over Milwaukee County for helping feed a hungry neighbor," said Sherrie Tussler, executive director of Hunger Task Force. "'Stamp Out Hunger' is the biggest one-day food drive for us, and we want to make sure those who donated know they are making a big difference."

Milwaukee County's "Stamp Out Hunger" Drive, sponsored by Johnson Controls and Kohl's Cares, continued to collect food throughout the week at area post offices and apartment units.

Community members can still participate in the drive by visiting Milwaukee's Pick 'n Save stores, which are hosting donation boxes through Monday, May 20.

The "Stamp Out Hunger" Drive is held each year on the second Saturday of May. Last year's drive in Milwaukee County collected just over 474,000 pounds of food.

For more information about Hunger Task Force or to make a donation online, visit www.hungertaskforce.org.

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Esperanza Unida moves staff and programming to new office
May 17, 2013 10:00 AM
Esperanza Unida, Inc., a Milwaukee-based workforce development nonprofit organization, has relocated its staff members to 611 W. National Ave. due to water damage at its 1329 W. National Ave. site.
 
Along with the move, the organization will work to restructure its training operations and consolidate its professional services.

“Last week, after detecting increasing dampness in the building, I instructed all staff to prepare their belongings to be moved to the 611 International Building,” said Manny Peraz, Experanza Unida’s general manager and advisor. “The move was made proactively to protect employee and trainee safety.”

City inspectors, who already approved the move, also approved Esperanza Unida’s plans to facilitate hands-on training for welding and forklifting in the back of the building.

The new office location will need updated HVAC units and roof repairs.

“We are actively engaged in conversations with foundations, the private sector and governmental units to address the critical infrastructure needs that are essential to completing our mission to help people become self-sufficient,” Perez said. “The entire community must unite around supporting the organization’s critical workforce, economic development and training services.”

Perez will continue to consult a contractor about the best course of action for the office at 1329 W. National Ave., which will continue to be utilized for some of the organization’s training programs.

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ART Jamboree to feature local artists and commerce
May 17, 2013 10:00 AM
ART Milwaukee will transform the Shops of Grand Avenue into an art gallery, theater, concert hall and vendor market in one this Saturday with its May ART Jamboree “ART & Buy Local Fair.”
 
The fair aims to promote the talents of local artists, open up a space for Milwaukeeans to purchase goods made locally and shine a light on Milwaukee's "creative community" as a whole.

"The goal of this event is to bring together as many diverse artists and vendors to really showcase the creative community in Milwaukee," said ART Milwaukee founder Jeremy Fojut. "We hope that this will continue to grow the base of art enthusiasts in the Grand Ave. and city wide."

ART Milwaukee, an organization that advocates art as a vehicle of social and economic prosperity, is partnering with a number of "buy local" minded organizations to pull together the ART Jamboree, which will present about 100 artists and 50 vendors.

Event partners include Local First, United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF), Okanjo, Westown and MKE Up Market.

Live theater, music and dance performers will include Danceworks, Skylight Music Theater, Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra, the Florentine Opera, the Milwaukee Rep, Renaissance Theaterworks, and the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra Bronzeville Jazz Quartet.

A Spoken Word open mic by New Word Document and a hip hop freestyle show will also be a part of Saturday's fair.

Patrons who make a minimum $5 purchase at the vendor market will be given raffle tickets that enter them into a drawing for a chance to win restaurant gift cards, hotels stays and more.

And participating vendors will be able to learn more about the benefits of selling their goods through Okanjo, an online marketplace with a special Milwaukee focus.

The ART Jamboree will run from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. and is free and open to the public. For more information, click here.

The Shops of Grand Avenue are located at 161 W. Wisconsin Ave. in downtown Milwaukee.

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Baird celebrates Give Back Week
May 17, 2013 11:00 AM
More than 1,000 associates at Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc. have been volunteering their time to nonprofit organizations this week from May 13 to 18 as part of the company’s Baird Gives Back Week.
 
About 450 Milwaukee employees, including senior leaders, have served more than 25 organizations. These include Growing Power, Hunger Task Force and Fondy Food Center.

The weeklong volunteer event began five years ago in Milwaukee and was extended to the entire company in 2011.

Baird sponsors the event as part of its commitment to the communities in which its employees live and work.


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KABA adds key executives
May 17, 2013 11:00 AM
The Kenosha Area Business Alliance (KABA) announced the hiring of a new chief financial officer and a new executive director of Downtown Kenosha Inc. and its newly created Main Street program.
 
Richard Rodenbeck has been named CFO. He previously served as KABA's director of business finance. Rich has been with KABA since 2005.

Violet Ricker is the first executive director of the Main Street program. Ricker has served as the executive director of Waukegan Main Street for the past three years and has extensive training in the Main Street program approach of economic development through historic preservation.

The addition of a full-time staff person dedicated to helping existing and future downtown business thrive is the result of a community-wide effort to focus on the redevelopment of Kenosha's downtown area. In 2011, the Kenosha Area Business Alliance (KABA), the City of Kenosha, and a steering committee of community leaders engaged the Lakota Group, an urban planning and design firm, to help set clear priorities.

"I am excited to join the team at KABA and look forward to being a part of downtown Kenosha's revitalization," Ricker said.


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BizTimes Around Town: Lad Lake’s Bright Lights, Big Dreams Gala
May 17, 2013 11:00 AM
Lad Lake, based in Dousman, recently honored four of its students with scholarships during its sixth annual Bright Lights, Big Dreams Gala held at COA Restaurant at Bayshore Town Center in Glendale.
 
The scholarships support the nonprofit organization’s mission emphasizing education, independent living, outreach and residential services. Students awarded at the gala were selected for their strong work ethic, commitment to change and focus on personal development. BizTimes Media served as a sponsor of the event. Check out today’s BizTimes Around Town.

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Nonprofit Calendar
May 17, 2013 11:00 AM

*Saturday, May 18, Legacy Recycling will run an electronics drive at the First Congregational Church UCC, located at 131 N. Webster St. in Port Washington. The drive will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will collect unwanted electronics including computers, laptops, computer accessories, DVD players, CD players, televisions, office equipment and any device that plugs into an outlet or uses batteries. The electronics drive will be held along with the church’s 6th annual Sustainability Fair, which is free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, visit www.transitionozaukee.com.

*Saturday, May 18, the Social Development Commission and Greater New Birth Church will partner to hold the Spring Community Job and Resource Fair. The fair will have employers onsite as well as training programs such as Job Corps and the Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards. Additional onsite resources include information about driver’s license recovery, health screenings, finances, housing, education and public safety. Volunteer mentors will also be at the fair to coach attendees through career plans. The fair will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Greater New Birth Church, located at 8237 W. Silver Spring Dr. in Milwaukee. For more information, visit www.cr-sdc.org.

*Tuesday, May 21, the Salvation Army in Oak Creek will host its annual spring fundraiser, “The Peasant Lunch,” to support the organization’s summer camp. One peasant lunch costs $20 and funds one camp day for one participant; four lunches cost $80 and fund child care for a family for one week; and eight lunches cost $160 and allow four children to attend a Wisconsin Dells water park field trip. The lunch fundraiser will run from 12 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. at the Salvation Army Oak Creek Centennial Worship & Community Center, 8853 S. Howell Ave. Attendees need to register by Tuesday, May 14, and can do so by calling 414-762-3993.

*Thursday, May 23, SHARP Literacy, Inc. will present its student-designed “Bee Quilt” to the public as part of the nonprofit’s efforts to develop literacy skills through exposure to visual arts and as a supplement to its “We Love To Learn” book program. The book program features books with both written and illustrated material submitted by students. The latest book is titled “A Busy Bee: The Story of Bella the Honey Bee” and complements the curriculum of students studying the life cycle of growing things and pollination. Kids used art, leadership and teamwork skills along with science and vocabulary to design their bee quilt. SHARP Literacy will unveil the quilt at 10 a.m. at the Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N. Art Museum Dr. in Milwaukee. It will be on display at the museum through July 15. For more information about the nonprofit, visit www.sharpliteracy.org.

*Thursday, May 23, the Racine County Economic Development Corporation will hold a 30th Anniversary Celebration featuring a keynote speech by Bill Rancic, host of “America Now” and former champion of “The Apprentice. Rancic will discuss “how to succeed in business and life.” The celebration will also include the presentation of the Sam Johnson Volunteer of the Year awards to two area honorees. The event is open to the public and will run from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Racine Marriott, 7111 Washington Ave. in Racine. Cost is $25, and space is limited. Click here to register. 

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Erica Breunlin BizTimes Bubbler Weekly is compiled by BizTimes Milwaukee reporter Erica Breunlin. This bulletin is published every Thursday morning. Send news tips to erica.breunlin@biztimes.com or call her at (414) 336-7121.

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