Milwaukee, WI – On March 2, 2024, Milwaukee Bucks guard and Three Leaf Partners co-founder and CEO, Pat Connaughton, will accept the prestigious Award of Excellence from Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation.
The foundation will honor Connaughton at its 33rd Award of Excellence Dinner on March 2 at the Pfister Hotel. The Award of Excellence recognizes individuals who capture legendary coach Vince Lombardi’s spirit of commitment and pursuit of excellence. Honorees have the same desire as the Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation to prevent cancer, provide the best care to those battling it, and find a cure.
Last year’s event was at Fiserv Forum and honored NBA Announcer Ernie Johnson, Jr. Connaughton attended the event to celebrate Johnson.
“When I look at the list of people who have received this award—Ernie Johnson, Bart Starr, Hank Aaron—it’s incredible,” said Connaughton. “It’s an honor to be recognized among them. I’m really looking forward to the dinner with the Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation and its supporters in March.”
Tickets to the black-tie event are available at lombardifoundation.org.
An individual ticket is $300, a table of 10 is $3,000 and a VIP ticket which includes a meet and greet with Connaughton is $600. All tickets include dinner, a Q&A with Connaughton, an open bar during the reception and complimentary valet parking. Funds raised will support cancer research and treatments.
At this year’s dinner, Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation will also honor VISIT Milwaukee President and CEO Peggy Williams-Smith. She will receive the Sileno Kriete Award for her leadership while on the Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation Board of Directors (2014-2023). During her tenure on the board, she also served as co-chair of the Award of Excellence Dinner, wowing attendees over the years with impressive honorees and helping the event raise more than $1 million to fight cancer.
Other notable recipients of the Sileno Kriete Award include Paul Mirabella, former baseball pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers, and John P. Hansen, MD, cancer researcher and oncologist.
“This year’s event is all about individuals’ impact in the fight against cancer and our duty to philanthropy,” said Emily Phillips, Financial Advisor, Phillips Ristau Group – Baird, and Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation board member and Award of Excellence Dinner co-chair. “Milwaukee is an extremely philanthropic community, and I can’t think of anyone who exemplifies that better than Pat and Peggy.”
According to a study by Upgraded Points based on individual tax return data from the IRS, Wisconsin ranks 10th highest in the percent of taxpayers (35%) who donate to charity.
“Our community has a history of giving well-above national averages; the 2024 Award of Excellence Dinner honorees and the organizations they lead are committed to being agents of positive change in Milwaukee and beyond,” added Kate Braasch, Chief of Presidential Affairs, Marquette University, and Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation board member and Award of Excellence Dinner co-chair.
Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation is also accepting donations in honor of individuals who are currently battling or have battled cancer, as well as in memory of individuals who have passed away from cancer at lombardiaward.givesmart.com. The names and photos of these individuals will be shown during the 2024 Award of Excellence Dinner on March 2.
About Pat Connaughton
Pat Connaughton is a two sport professional athlete and NBA Champion, who was selected in the MLB draft in 2014 and NBA draft in 2015. After an illustrious basketball and baseball career at the University of Notre Dame, Connaughton capped off his time there with the Men’s Basketball’s only Conference Championship in the ACC.
Connaughton is also Co-Founder and CEO of real estate development company, Three Leaf Partners, headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with the mission of connecting professional athletes with business executives through the vehicle of real estate. Three Leaf Partners currently has 19 employees, 125 investors, and 26 projects in its portfolio.
Connaughton started the Pat Connaughton Foundation in 2016 and uses its three pillars – clinics, courts, and character to carry out its mission of increasing the access to athletics for the next generation of student athletes. The foundation has donated 6 courts with 2 underway, and in the last 8 years, has held 17 clinics and impacted 18,477 student-athletes.
About the Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation
The Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation was established in 1971 and has raised over $24 million in memory of five-time NFL Championship Green Bay Packers Coach Vince Lombardi. Coach Lombardi’s spirit, enthusiasm and commitment to excellence touched countless lives. On September 3, 1970, he lost a battle to colon cancer, dying at only 57. In his honor, the foundation is dedicated to preventing cancer, caring for those who are battling it and finding a cure. Its national Medical Advisory Committee reviews grant requests to ensure the foundation is funding the most innovative and cutting-edge cancer projects. For more information on the Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation, visit lombardifoundation.org.
