Results tagged ‘ Brewers Community Foundation ’
18 Weeks To Go Until the Brewers Mini-Marathon….10 Weeks until the 5K Sausages Run/Walk!
Last week, John, Trenni and I visited the official training partner of the Brewers Mini, Performance Running Outfitters in Brookfield, to get geared up so we can officially begin training. Not only does Performance Running provide high quality shoes, apparel, and accessories (with a discount for John and Cait readers!) , but they will also be providing the pace team for the race and they have developed an official training program for it. [For more information on the program, or to register, click here.]
The 14th Annual 5K Famous Racing Sausages Run/Walk will be held at Miller Park on Saturday, July 28, starting at 8 a.m. (for runners like you!) and 8:15 a.m. (for walkers). Applications are now available online at brewers.com/5krunwalk.
I’ve run in this 5k in the past and it’s always a blast. Even if you are not so ambitious as to be preparing for the Brewers Mini, it’s one of the most unique races in the area and, with the walk option, is also a great event for families.
One very unique feature of this event is that participants actually get to test their skills against the Famous Racing Sausages, who also run the course. The run will begin and end at the Klement’s Sausage Haus where the Brat, Hot Dog, Chorizo, Italian Sausage and Polish Sausage join the crowd on the course. And, Brewers first base coach Ed Sedar will serve celebrity starter for this year’s event.
The route also makes its way around the warning track of Miller Park, making it excellent practice for the Brewers Mini –when else are you going to get a chance to test that terrain?
All participants must be pre-registered and the event is is filling quickly, so it is recommended that those interested register ASAP for this event.
So far, there are 26 States and the Armed Forces – Europe represented in the participants.
For the $30 registration fee, participants in the Run/Walk receive a commemorative t-shirt, a Terrace Reserved ticket voucher good for one of eight Brewers 2012 home games, a bottle of Aquafina water, a Klement’s hot dog and a beer for participants 21 and older. The overall top male finisher and the overall top female finisher also receive a year’s worth of Klement’s meat products.
Participants can create/join teams when they register. Teams of 15 people or more will get their team names on the back of their t-shirts.
All proceeds of the event will help Brewers Community Foundation extend financial support to non-profits that provide quality programming in the areas of health, education, recreation and basic needs and this year, the fundraising component returns as participants and fans are encouraged to help raise additional funds to benefit Fisher House Wisconsin. Participants can learn about incentive levels, prizes and read the official rules for fundraising at brewers.com/5kfundraising.
Any questions regarding the 5K Famous Racing Sausages Run/Walk or the fundraising component can be directed to Meredith Malone at meredith.malone@brewers.com or by visiting brewers.com/5krunwalk.
Stay tuned for our next training post as we prepare for these two fun events!
To join us at one or both of these great races:
- Register for the 5K Run Walk at brewers.com/5krunwalk
[Follow @BrewersCF and use hashtag #5KSausageRunWalk for updates!]
- Register for the Brewers Mini at brewersmini.com
[Follow @BrewersEvents and use hashtag #BrewersMini for updates!]
Can’t race, but still want to help some great causes?
- Support the Fisher House by making a donation to our team here .
- Support the MACC Fun by making a donation to our team here.
Happy Running!
- Cait
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About Fisher House: Fisher House provides a “home away from home” for military and veterans’ families to be close to a loved one during hospitalization for an illness, disease or injury at the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center in Milwaukee. Currently, veterans from 23 different states of all generations travel to the Milwaukee VA medical center for treatment at the Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) center, while 8,000 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans receive treatment here in Milwaukee for their wounds or injuries. Veterans and their families living beyond 50 miles from the Milwaukee VA hospital are eligible to stay for free at the Fisher House if they need to overnight. The Fisher House program recognizes the special sacrifices of our men and women in uniform and ensures that they are provided with the comforts of home in a supportive environment. Due to this need, the future Milwaukee home will be one of the largest built in the United States. Fisher House Wisconsin is scheduled to break ground in 2013.
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Sponsors of this year’s 5K Famous Racing Sausages Run/Walk are: Brewers.com, Chevrolet, Klement’s, Olympus Group, Pepsi, Prime Time Timing, Rexnord, SportService, Time Warner Cable, Navy Club USA – WI Squadron, Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association WI Chapter 45-1, Wisconsin Athletic Club and 2-Story Creative.
Closer John Axford to Open Film Festival Tonight
Brewers fans, are you looking for something to do on your off day?
Tonight is the Opening Night for the 2011 Milwaukee Film Festival, which runs through October 2.
If you check out the event, held at Landmark Oriental Theatre on Milwaukee’s Eastside, you just might spot some familiar faces in the crowd. This year, Brewers closer John Axford has been involved with the festival through Brewers Community Foundation, one of the event’s sponsors.
If you remember my interview with John back in Spring Training when we were busy shooting our TV commercials, you’ll recall that John graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a BA in Film in 2005 and is quite the movie buff.
Through his involvement, John has been featured on billboards promoting the event and he also plans to attend the Opening Night party at Discovery World. Make sure to follow John on Twitter @JohnAxford for updates and also check out the Film Festival website, as rumor has it, there will be an interview with John posted shortly.
Catcher Jonathan Lucroy and pitchers Randy Wolf and Tim Dillard, are also planning to attend opening night festivities.
As part of their support, Brewers Community Foundation is sponsoring Take One: Milwaukee Children’s Film Festival, presented by PNC. Take One is also sponsored by Marcus Theatres.
“The film festival is so great for the community. The quality of film and exposure to other cultures is a tremendous asset that I think people should take advantage of. In particular, the Children’s Film Festival fits well Brewers Community Foundation’s focused interest in education,” said Executive Director of Brewers Community Foundation, Cecelia Gore.
The Children’s Film Festival is co-directed by Julia Magnasco, Education Director at First Stage Children’s Theater, and Brian Gallagher, the former Executive Coordinator of the Wisconsin International Children’s Film Festival; it features quality children’s cinema from around the world. Each screening includes discussions with filmmakers or educators, hands-on activities and take-home guides.
Take One films will screen on the weekends during the film festival, September 24 and 25 at the Oriental Theatre and the Marcus Ridge Cinema in New Berlin and also on October 1 and 2 at both the Oriental and the Marcus North Shore Cinema in Mequon.
For those of you attending the festival, you might also recognize another name in the program: MLB Commissioner Allan H.(Bud) Selig and his wife, Suzanne, are also major supporters of the film festival and have been since its inception in 2008. In recognition of their support, the Allan H. (Bud) and Suzanne L. Selig Audience Award is given each year to the overall audience favorite film in the feature and short film categories.
For a complete schedule of all Film Festival events, click here: http://www.milwaukee-film.org.
-Cait
johnandcait@brewers.com
P.S. In speaking with Cecelia, I also discovered that a limited number of passes for Take One will be available at the Brewers Community Foundation 50/50 raffle tables during tomorrow night’s Brewers vs. Marlins game beginning at 7:10pm. Stop by, purchase your raffle tickets and you just might get to go to the festival on us!
Prince Fielder’s Brewers Bowl-A-Thon Raises over $28,000 for Milwaukee’s YMCA Young Leaders Academy
Last night at the iPic Bowling Center at the Bayshore Town Center in Glendale, Prince Fielder welcomed 150 Brewers fans to bowl with him and a number of his Brewers teammates. Prince Fielder’s Brewers Bowl-A-Thon raised over $28,000 for Milwaukee’s YMCA Young Leaders Academy. The money will benefit the YMCA Reading Program and its Young Leaders Academy to will help build the “Brewers Dugout,” aimed at children in k4-3rd grades with the goal of fostering a love of reading in the students.
Prince Fielder at the 2011 Bowl-A-Thon last night at the iPic Entertainment Center in Milwaukee
“It’s all about the kids,” Fielder said. “I’m happy to be able to help make this opportunity to them. Reading is so important to them building their future and the YMCA is giving them an opportunity to build a good future. We are just going to have fun tonight with the kids.”
Randy Wolf at the 2011 Bowl-A-Thon last night at the iPic Entertainment Center in Milwaukee
A number of Brewers players including LaTroy Hawkins, Randy Wolf, Jonathan Lucroy, Mark DiFelice, Kameron Loe, Marco Estrada and Chris Narveson bowled alongside Fielder. It was funny to watch some of the players bowl with their opposite hands throughout the night (we need to protect those arms!). Even with the opposite hand, many players were putting up high numbers.
LaTroy Hawkins bowls left-handed at the 2011 Bowl-A-Thon last night.
The 2009 Brewers Bowl-A-Thon top bowler, Mark DiFelice, was nearing a 200 game (left-handed of course) before the Famous Racing Hot Dog snuck in and bowled his final frame. DiFelice was a little upset as he was looking to take back his title after taking 2010 off, but still managed a score of above 185.
Prince Fielder normally doesn't like strikes, but last night he was looking for them!
Ryan Braun and Craig Counsell also attended the event, posed for pictures and talked to fans, but did not bowl.
The iPic Bowling Center was a perfect location for this as it allowed the players and participants to interact. A group of kids from the Young Leaders Academy (Northside Campus) also participated in the bowling. The kids had smiles on their faces all night as they were able to hang out with some of their Brewers heroes.
Dave Nelson (left) interviews Mark DiFelice (center) and his fiance, Lauren.
A special thanks to Katina Shaw, Erica Bowring, Cecelia Gore, Meredith Malone and Joan Enters of the Brewers front office for their hard work in organizing and promoting what turned out to be a great event. A special thanks as well goes out to the emcee of the evening, Davey Nelson.
–JOHN
johnandcait@brewers.com
Brewers Thanksgiving Basket Delivery
Yesterday, I participated in the Brewers Community Foundation’s Annual Thanksgiving Basket Delivery. The BCF along with its partners, 1290 WMCS-AM, the Milwaukee County Sheriff, Feeding America and Hunger Task Force presented 500 full Thanksgiving meals for those in need. The recipients of the meals were selected by WMCS-AM through letters and e-mails submitted to the station.
After a short press conference at Miller Park, we loaded up some boxes and headed over to the Guest House just north of Marquette University’s campus. The Guest House is a homeless shelter for men that gives more to men than a roof over their head, but also works to find jobs, health care, education and other social services for its guests.
We delivered over 15 full Thanksgiving meals to the Guest House that included everything you need for the traditional Thanksgiving meal–dressing, potatoes, cranberry sauce, cake mix, canned yams, corn, green beans, fruit, and, of course, a turkey. Cecelia Gore, Executive Director of the Brewers Community Foundation presented the Guest House with a $10,000 contribution. It was a great gesture in a time of giving.
Special thanks go out to Brewers television play-by-play announcer Brian Anderson and former Brewers great Larry Hisle for their assistance yesterday. You could see the excitement in the eyes of the recipients at the Guest House yesterday when they saw the former All-Star slugger (who is now an All-Star in the community). Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke and numerous representatives from 1290 WMCS-AM were also on hand for yesterday’s delivery.
The remaining meals will be distributed today and tomorrow by WMCS-AM.
Click this link to see some of the video highlights from yesterday.
From the Brewers family to your family, have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving!
– JOHN
Brewers Bowl-a-Thon a Rolling Success
On Sunday night, many of the Milwaukee Brewers players celebrated their sweep over the Houston Astros by bowling in the Brewers Bowl-a-Thon, hosted by Doug Davis.
A great crowd was on hand at Pinstrikes Bowling Center at Bayshore Town Center in Glendale, Wisconsin, both to bowl and, to watch the tournament unfold.
The evening began with drinks, appetizers, a silent auction and a few different raffles that fans could enter.
The silent auction featured items such as autographed bats, baseballs, jerseys, caps,
After the drawing, it was time to get down to business. The players were assigned to their lanes and the bowling commenced with Doug Davis, the evening’s host, throwing out the official “first ball”.
Doug Davis (right), the evening’s host, poses with Chris Capuano.
Proceeds from the event proceeds benefited the Miracle League of Milwaukee through the Doug Davis Foundation and the Brewers Community Foundation.
-CAIT
The Miracle League of Milwaukee is a project that the Club has been supporting in various ways this season, including through the Pepsi Refresh Project. Fifteen teams across Major League Baseball are asking fans to join them in making a difference in America’s communities; each Club has presented a proposed community project for support and here in Milwaukee, the Club has chosen the Miracle League, campaigning for fan votes and an ultimate $200,000 grant to fulfill the project. (Click here to cast your vote up to ten times a day until Tuesday, August 17 at 11:59 p.m. EDT.)
John Previews the Brewers Community Foundation Week Auction
Rebranded for 2010, the Milwaukee Brewers Community Foundation is currently hosting its first ever Milwaukee Brewers Community Foundation Week. A series of in-park events have been planned including raffles that benefit the Brewers Community Foundation.
Highlighting the week is a commercial-free telecast of Tuesday’s Brewers-Diamondbacks game on FS Wisconsin. That’s right, on Tuesday fans tuning in at home will not see a commercial during the Brewers game. Things could get quite interesting for Brian Anderson and Bill Schroeder without any commercial breaks!
As a part of the telecast, a live auction will take place on brewers.com. The auction is currently open and will run through Tuesday night. If you happen to be attending the game that night, you will also be given the opportunity to bid on items via computer terminals set up at the ballpark.
Executive Director of the Brewers Community Foundation Cecelia Gore and the Brewers front office has worked hard to put together some unique items. The auction is filled with some of the most unbelievable experience and once-in-a-lifetime, behind the scenes opportunities offered by the Brewers for Brewers fans.
Fourteen items are available to fans looking to participate in the online auction. When I first saw the list, I was really excited and almost shocked that some of these opportunities were even being made available! If anything it shows the commitment by the Brewers organization to the Brewers Community Foundation and the organizations to which they contribute.
I thought I would give you some of my thoughts on my favorite items up for auction:
Party in the Clubhouse - So we have all been to dinner parties before. Some have been fun, and others we just dread attending and are pretty boring and have a lot of awkward conversation. You can blow your friends away with this dinner party in the Visiting Team clubhouse at Miller Park (just make sure you clean up or Phil Rozewicz might be after you).
Up to 50 guests will enjoy the comforts of a Major League Clubhouse with food and non-alcoholic beverages. Cash bar can be made available upon request. Additionally, 25 members of your party will have the opportunity to take batting practice in the Brewers batting cages against Jim Gantner, Jerry Augustine and Marcus Hanel. Brewers GM Doug Melvin will also make a visit. Dinner, batting practice, visits from former Major Leaguers all make for a dinner party that all of which all your friends will WANT to attend. Sounds like a fantastic deal.
Hitting Clinic with Dale Sveum & Casey McGehee and Pitching Clinic with Trevor Hoffman & Rick Peterson - These two items are certainly once-in-a-life time opportunities. To have a half-hour instructional session with these professionals is priceless. No matter what your skill level, these two packages will make the dreams come true of any Brewers fan.
Sveum and McGehee will spend a half-hour with the winner of this prize and teach the finer points of hitting. I have seen these two work together on hitting from the first day of Spring Training on and both of them truly are masters of their craft.
Peterson and Hoffman between them have over 30 years of Major League Coaching and Playing experience. The chance to work with a future Hall of Famer in Hoffman and a pitching guru like Peterson will most definitely help the delivery of Little Leaguers with Big League dreams and Bill Schroeder’s “Fantasy Leaguers” alike.
Authentic Game-Used Baseball - I know it is pretty difficult to catch a foul ball or a home run at a Major League Baseball game. Once in awhile one comes my way in the press box (Ken Spindler normally catches it while Mike Vassallo and I duck out of the way for safety). This is a pretty good opportunity to own a game-used piece of Brewers history.
FOX Sports Wisconsin Broadcast Package - Being a proud graduate of Marquette University’s College of Communication, this is probably one of my favorite packages. The winner here will be given the opportunity to conduct a pre-game interview with a Brewers player or coach prior to a pre-selected Brewers game and have it air during “Brewers Live!” on FS Wisconsin. The winner will also get a tour of the FS Wisconsin television truck and tickets to the game. This is your opportunity to show Brewers fans watching across the country that you have what it takes to be the next Telly Hughes.
Racing Mini Sausages Opportunity - One of the best parts of Sunday day games (besides the press box breakfast) is watching the Famous Klement’s Sausage Race featuring what Official Scorer Tim O’Driscoll likes to call “the little weenies.” Every Sunday, the regular sausages participate in a relay race with the mini sausages. This is an amazing opportunity for your child and four friends (aged 5-8, 60 pounds or under) to run in the Famous Klement’s Sausage Race at a mutually agreed upon 2011 Sunday home game. This package includes 20 Loge Level tickets to that game and a pre-race visit from the Famous Racing Sausages to your child’s school (within a 45 mile radius from Miller Park). If your family has five kids, a photo of this event would make a pretty unique family photo.
Coach First Base at Spring Training – Brewers First Base Coach Ed Sedar’s job gives him arguably the best seat in the house, but that’s not to say he has an easy job. This package will give you the chance to perform your best Ed Sedar impression and coach first base during the 2011 Brewers Inter-squad Spring Training Game at Maryvale Baseball Park in Phoenix. Also included in the package are two round trip airfares on AirTran Airways for your travel to Phoenix, one full Brewers uniform with personalized jersey and a behind-the-scenes tour of Maryvale. Spring Training is one of my favorite times of the year and I highly suggest to any Brewers fan to make the trip. This is a great chance to make the trip and a special memory.
Groundskeeping Experience - If there is one thing you must know about the Brewers Director of Grounds Gary Vanden Berg and his army of groundskeepers, they work hard to make sure Miller Park is ready for every game at Miller Park. They take care of every inch of the field, grooming, raking and painting the meticulous surface everyday–hours before the first fan arrives and hours after the final out.
If you have ever wondered what it takes to keep the beautiful green grass at Miller Park the envy of every homeowner in Wisconsin, this package is for you. The winner here will have the opportunity to assist the crew with watering and preparing the field during pregame and then again with changing the bases in the 4th inning. The winner will then take home the base they changed along with two official Brewers grounds crew t-shirts and a vial of authentic Miller Park dirt. Two premium tickets are also included. If Vanden Berg sees that you are a hard worker, you might be able to get some tips on cutting those intricate patterns seen in the Miller Park outfield in your own backyard.
The auction is open now and will run through Tuesday night at Midnight CT. Some items have some bids while others have yet to see a bid placed. There is still some time, but I’m guessing once Tuesday’s game comes around and FS Wisconsin Is talking about the auction, a lot of those items will heat up.
Tune in to Tuesday’s broadcast on FS Wisconsin and on brewers.com and support the Brewers Community Foundation by bidding on some great items.
–JOHN
Doug Davis: Throwing Strikes On and Off the Mound
On Sunday, August 8, Brewers pitcher Doug Davis will host a Bowl-a-Thon at Pinstrikes Bowling Center at Bayshore Town Center in Glendale, Wisconsin. Davis will be joined by Brewers teammates and coaches at the event, where proceeds will benefit the Miracle League of Milwaukee through the Doug Davis Foundation and the Brewers Community Foundation.
The Doug Davis Foundation, whose motto is, “Helping better the lives of children,” started in 2008 with a golf tournament while Davis was playing for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He established the Foundation to help assist children with various medical, social and family needs. Over the next couple of years, Davis has held more events such as poker tournaments, meet and greets, and special behind-the scenes ballpark tours in addition to what has now become his annual Celebrity/Charity Golf Invitational. The proceeds from some of those events have gone to the Miracle League of Arizona, helping to build a baseball stadium designed for use by children with special needs.
The Miracle League of Milwaukee is a project that the Club has been supporting in various ways this season, including through the Pepsi Refresh Project. Fifteen teams across Major League Baseball are asking fans to join them in making a difference in America’s communities; each Club has presented a proposed community project for support and here in Milwaukee, the Club has chosen the Miracle League, campaigning for fan votes and an ultimate $200,000 grant to fulfill the project. (Click here to cast your vote up to ten times a day until Tuesday, August 17 at 11:59 p.m. EDT.)
Because of Davis’ work with the Miracle League of Arizona, the Miracle League is also something that Davis strongly supports and he will donate the proceeds from the Bowl-a-Thon to the Miracle League of Milwaukee.
“Children, you know, like the song says, they are our future. The Miracle League in particular is very special to me because without it, those kids don’t get to play. They want to be just like the big leaguers they see on TV, with the field and the amenities. To know that you’re sharing your love for the game with them and that you’re helping them, it makes you feel really good inside. And when you see them play and realize the sense of achievement that they get out of it, it is very humbling,” Davis said.
There are a number of different ways to participate in the Bowl-a-Thon, which takes place from 6-9 p.m., following the Brewers vs. Houston Astros game.
Lane sponsorship is $1000 and includes bowling for five people plus a Brewers player, five tickets to a Brewers game, free food and drinks at the event, goodie bags including an autographed baseball, additional autograph and photograph opportunities, plus raffle prizes. The high bowler in each lane will also receive an autographed custom bowling pin. Individual spots are available for $200.
While the Doug Davis Foundation has held poker and golf events, Davis has never held his own bowling event, though he has participated in them in the past.
While it is Davis’ first time hosting a Bowl-a-Thon, this is not the first time for the Brewers. Most recently, former Brewers outfielder, Mike Cameron, hosted the Brewers Bowl-a-Thon in 2009.
I did a little homework before our interview. Over the past 6 seasons (2004-2009), Davis has been in the top 25 National League pitchers in strikeouts for five of those seasons, including finishing tied for third in 2005, his personal best. In addition, Doug’s current average strikeouts per nine innings pitched (K/9) is 7.98 in 2010.
It’s okay, though. Davis has an excuse. He will be bowling right-handed in the event to protect his pitching arm, especially as he treats his tendinitis.
So, if Davis isn’t overly confident in his own bowling abilities…who is the best bowler on the team?
Players currently scheduled to appear at the event along with Davis are: John Axford, Zach Braddock, Ryan Braun, Chris Capuano, Prince Fielder, Corey Hart, Joe Inglett, Kameron Loe, Casey McGehee, Chris Narveson, Manny Parra, Randy Wolf, and more.
“So, are you picking Ryan Braun to win it all then?” I pressed.
While Davis has made his prediction, it still sounds like it’s anyone’s ballgame. However, one thing is for certain: On Sunday, August 8, the Miracle League of Milwaukee will be the true winner as the team and fans come out to have a fun time and raise money for this worthy cause. We hope to see you there!
To participate in the event or for more information, visit brewers.com/community, or contact Greg Harris with the Doug Davis Foundation at (847) 924-6140 or via e-mail at gharris@dougdavisfoundation.org. For more information on the Miracle League of Milwaukee, please visit www.miracleleaguemilwaukee.org.
John and Cait
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