Fellowship Open Announces 2012 Community Beneficiaries

July 20, 2012 - PRLog -- Media Contact:
P. Andrews-Keenan
(312) 206-2821 / PKeenan@goldstarc.com

Fellowship Open Announces 2012 Community Beneficiaries
Five Milwaukee organizations to receive FO funding adding to the $700K raised to date

(MILWAUKEE) -- The 2012 Fellowship Open Board of Directors has announced that five Milwaukee based non-profit organizations will be the beneficiaries of proceeds generated during the annual golf event slated for August 17 at the Silver Spring Country Club.  The organizations all support diverse youth initiatives across the area.  To date, the Fellowship Open has raised more than $700,000 in support of youth-oriented programs in and around Milwaukee.

The 2012 organizations are:  

The 34 Ways to Assist Foundation, founded by Devin Harris, Milwaukee native and starting point guard for the NBA’s Utah Jazz, ensures that children of low-income, at-risk households have activities that promote health and wellness and education continuance.  The Foundation achieves these goals through partnerships with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Big Brothers, Big Sisters.  Harris states that he has been greatly blessed through his career as an athlete and wants to give back to the communities he calls home just as they have given to him.

Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office Shop With a Cop - This holiday shopping event was created by the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s office to foster positive relationships with young people in the community. Supported financially by Milwaukee area businesses, children from the Neighborhood House of Milwaukee and the County Sheriff’s deputies enjoy breakfast and a day of holiday shopping together.

Three Harbors Council - Boy Scouts -  The Three Harbors Council serves nearly 25,000 youth in Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, Venturing and other Scouting programs in the southeastern Wisconsin counties of Kenosha, Milwaukee and Racine.  Among the programs offered by Three Harbors Council are National Youth Leadership Training, Klondike Derbies, Camporees and Roundtables.

Johnson Park Neighborhood Association (JPNA) was created as a result of the City of Milwaukee’s neighborhood revitalization program.  Since 2003, over 60 new homes have been built in an area that consisted of older homes interspersed with formerly vacant, littered lots and boarded-up buildings.  Area residents have organized and established a collective vision for the area that centers on creating and promoting a safe, friendly and diverse neighborhood.  The Association runs several outstanding initiatives for youth in the Johnson Park neighborhood.

The Fresh Coast Classic Basketball Classic is more than just a basketball game.  Played between Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), the Classic is a regional event that exposes Milwaukee area adults and students to the legacy of HBCUs and the educational opportunities available at these prestigious institutions.  It’s a celebration that commemorates academic achievement, tradition and sportsmanship and most importantly, provides youth with alternatives to the sometime negative activities in their community.  Now in its 5th year, the classic draws more than 4,000 attendees.

“This impressive group of organizations are all working to make the Milwaukee area a better place for our youth and we couldn’t be more excited to be partnering with them this year,” said John W. Daniels, chairman of the Fellowship Open.  “The generosity of our sponsors and partners will ensure that these programs continue to make a difference in our community.”

Additionally, during this year’s Fellowship Open, two Milwaukeeans with deep ties to the business and philanthropy community will be awarded the 2012 Legends and Community Leader Awards respectively. They are NBA Hall of Famer Wayne Embry and Sandra Robinson, retired administrator at the Marquette University and arts patron.  The two honorees have made a lasting imprint on the Milwaukee community and embody the Fellowship Open's commitment to honoring citizens who have demonstrated tremendous personal commitment to the lives of others.  

ABOUT THE FELLOWSHIP OPEN

The Fellowship Open's principal objective is to work and support organizations that are making a meaningful and demonstrable difference in the lives of young people in the City of Milwaukee. During its 12-year existence, the Fellowship Open has raised more than $700,000 in support of over 60 organizations that are having a real impact on Milwaukee youth.  For more information on the Fellowship Open, visit www.fellowshipopen.com or contact Darlene Austin at 414.277-5000.  Follow the Fellowship Open FB at www.facebook.com/fellowshipopen.