30 August 2023 Charity/Non-Profit

MORE THAN $1.8 MILLION RAISED AT WISCONSIN DELLS EDUCATION FOUNDATION'S 12TH ANNUAL EVENT

Foundation Funds Life-Changing Opportunities for Wisconsin Dells High School Students

 
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WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. – Aug. 30, 2023 – On Tuesday, August 29, 2023, Wisconsin Dells Education Foundation hosted the 12th annual Golf for the Future event at Trappers Turn Golf Club and Wild Rock Golf Club. Over the last decade, the annual fundraiser has brought in more than $8.5 million to go towards scholarships for local Wisconsin Dells High School students. These scholarships help provide area students an opportunity to attend accredited post-secondary education programs after graduation from high school.

The annual fundraiser began to raise the necessary funds to operate the Wisconsin Dells High School music department, but before long, it raised enough money for the music program and then some, launching the Wisconsin Dells Education Foundation.

In 2022, the foundation's "Fund A Need" initiative ensured that all students could receive a free, nutritious breakfast every day of the school year. With 53.9% percent of students in the Wisconsin Dells district qualifying for free or reduced lunch, it was important to maintain the COVID-era meal provisions to the district to allow students to maintain their focus on schoolwork. In 2022 alone, the foundation helped provide 88,423 meals to students. In 2023, the foundation has continued this effort to ensure this need is met for all Wisconsin Dells High School students.

In addition to the ongoing Fund A Need initiative, Wisconsin Dells Education Foundation continues to provide scholarships to Wisconsin Dells High School graduates. Since its establishment, the foundation has ensured that every student that completes the scholarship application process receives at least one scholarship, helping to support the broader Wisconsin Dells community. To date, the foundation has awarded over $2M in scholarships to over 634 Wisconsin Dells High School graduates.

This year, the foundation has partnered to create five new scholarship endowments, bringing the total endowments created by families, organizations and businesses to 99. These new scholarships are brought to life in partnership with the following donors:

  • Ajvazi Family International Business
  • MBE CPAs
  • Brian Hartley Outdoors
  • Neuman Group Building Trades
  • Moosejaw Pizza (Kristen & Mark Schmitz)

For more information about the Wisconsin Dells Education Foundation or to donate, please visit www.wdhsfoundation.org.

About the Wisconsin Dells Education Foundation
Established in 2011, the Wisconsin Dells Education Foundation raises, invests and distributes scholarship funds for the benefit of graduates from Wisconsin Dells High School. The foundation is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization whose goal is to provide all Wisconsin Dells students wishing to pursue post-secondary education the financial support to do so. For more information about the Wisconsin Dells Education Foundation, please visit www.wdhsfoundation.org.

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Wisconsin Dells Education Foundation Golf for the Future 2023, Wisconsin Dells, Wis. – August 29, 2023

  1. Wisconsin Dells Education Foundation Banner
  2. National Anthem
  3. Wide Shot of Golf Carts
  4. Golfers Interacting and Waving
  5. Golfers Pulling off in Golf Carts
  6. Golfers Teeing Off
  7. SOUNDBITE Kelly Bauer, President of WDEF [00:00:48] Golf for the Future is a fundraiser for the Wisconsin Dells Education Foundation. It's our major fundraiser. Obviously, it's a day where we raise a lot of money. We've been doing this for 12 years. We've raised over $6 million in with this fundraiser. And we just we use the money for scholarships for Wisconsin Dells high school students. And we continue to add to our endowments to fund them.
  8. Golf carts driving to next hole & guests enjoying themselves
  9. Golf for the Future Signage
  10. Guests Checking In
  11. SOUNDBITE Kelly Bauer, President of WDEF [00:01:56] We have about $10 million in our foundation, which represents about 99 different scholarships. We added five more this last year and it seems like every year we add five or six or seven more from people that want to sponsor from our many businesses, families and companies that support us. It's just been a that's been a great thing. 
  12. SOUNDBITE Kelly Bauer, President of WDEF [00:02:15] We're presently working on multi-year scholarships so we can give scholarships for 1 to 3, even up to four years if we can get there. And that's kind of our goal is to give somebody not necessarily a free ride, but enough to take them and take care of them for the at least four years of college that they have.
  13. More Golf for Future Signage
  14. Evening Foundation Event begins
  15. Food and Decor
  16. Guests Interacting
  17. Display of Different Foods
  18. Auction Signage
  19. Auction Pieces
  20. Evening Remarks
30 August 2023