Media Contacts:
Billy Young
Fellowship Open Media Consultant
(424) 614-3109
billyyref@aol.com
Debi Miller, Director, Marketing Communications
(414) 277-5628 / (262) 716-7868
debra.miller@quarles.com
Milwaukee, Wis. — For the 15th consecutive year, the Fellowship Open will feature golf, a silent auction and an awards luncheon. Since its founding, the event has raised more than $1 million to support education and open paths to successful careers for Milwaukee’s children.
WHO: Fellowship Open leadership and VIPs will be available for interviews before the Awards Luncheon. 2015 honorees include:
Legends Award－Commissioner Emeritus of Major League Baseball, Allan H. (Bud) Selig
Lifetime Achievement Award－Earnie Ellison, Jr., managing partner of Ellison Consulting Group, LLC, and former PGA Executive
Community Leader Award－Jackie Herd-Barber
WHAT: 2015 Fellowship Open Luncheon
WHEN: Friday, August 14, 2015, Noon to 1:00 p.m.
WHERE: Silver Spring Golf & Banquet Center
N56 W21318 Silver Spring Drive, Menomonee Falls, WI 53051
The Fellowship Open will host more than 300 golfers from more than 20 states, including business, civic, and sports officials. Local and national sports celebrities also are expected to participate, including former Green Bay Packers Leroy Butler and George Koonce, Milwaukee Brewers color commentator Davey Nelson, and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee basketball coach Rob Jeter, among others. With a roster of more than 100 business, civic, and professional leaders who serve as honorary chairs, a host of corporate sponsors, and a team of 75 volunteers, the Fellowship Open features golf, a silent auction, and an awards luncheon to raise tens of thousands of dollars to support education and open paths to successful careers for Milwaukee’s children.
Leadership Initiatives
2015 PGA Championship－The PGA has been working with the Fellowship Open and the Boys & Girls Club of America to expose urban youth to professional golf. On Monday, August 10, 2015, approximately 20 boys and girls, ages 9 to 17, will travel by bus to spend the day at the 2015 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wis. 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and former PGA Executive Earnie Ellison, Jr., will accompany the students to the PGA events. The group will attend the PGA golf clinic and participate in a live broadcast at 5 p.m. on the Golf Channel.
The MKE Fellows－Persistent double-digit unemployment rates among Wisconsin African-Americans, and a desire to retain the best talent in Milwaukee, prompted leaders of the Fellowship Open to create MKE Fellows, a program designed to combat that statistic by training young African-American college students to become the next generation of Milwaukee’s leaders. MKE Fellows is an extension of the Fellowship Open’s support of the Morehouse Scholars Program.
Fundraising
Each year, several nonprofit organizations are identified as the current beneficiaries of the Fellowship Open’s fundraising efforts. For 2015, the recipients are:
* The Dr. Terence N. Thomas/Milwaukee Community Journal Scholarship Fund
* Andre Lee Ellis & Company
* ALIVE
* The Milwaukee Christian Fellowship Basketball League
In addition, this year contributions will be made to:
* The Links Scholars
* The Center for Teaching Entrepreneurship
* The Rob Jeter Basketball Camp
* Restoration of the Lincoln Park baseball field in honor of Hank Aaron
ABOUT THE FELLOWSHIP OPEN
The Fellowship Open was founded 15 years ago by a group of business and civic leaders to promote and inspire youngsters to pursue careers in business, and to foster support for diversity and inclusion in the business community. The event’s list of honorary chairs features some of Milwaukee’s most prominent professionals in business, government, and civic affairs. Each year, its ranks have grown with honorary chairs that bring outstanding attributes and commitments to the community.
