On Wednesday, August 8th, 2007, 542 golfers gathered to raise funds to help people in the Fox Valley and Green Bay regions who are struggling to meet their basic needs. The participants, representing more than 200 businesses and organizations, golfed at three area courses: Mid Vallee in DePere, Country Side in Kaukauna, and Wander Springs in Greenleaf, and then gathered for dinner at Van Abel's Supper Club in Hollandtown. All money raised at the event will benefit the U.S. Oil Open Fund for Basic Needs established at both the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region and Greater Green Bay Community Foundation.
"We set our goal this year at $800,000, thinking that would be a stretch," said Bill Schmidt, event organizer and Chairman Emeritus of the Combined Locks based company. "Going into the day, I knew we would do better than that, but I never imagined we'd hit the $1 Million mark. Our success today is really a testament to the generosity right here in this community. We're extremely grateful and very proud to host this event."
Organizers of this one-day event hoped to raise $800,000 this year, a $55,000 increase over the 2006 total. In the past 22 years, the outing has raised $7,705,877. In that time, more than $3.5 million has been given in grants to non-profit organizations in the Fox Valley and Green Bay regions.
Deanna Favre joined the group as the guest of honor, along with Football Hall of Fame members Max McGee and Paul Hornung.
"This is a great event," said Deanna Favre. "The people who come out for this event have their hearts in the right place. They want to help people. They are passionate about giving back to the community."
As the host of the U.S. Oil Open, U.S. Oil Co., Inc. pays for all of the expenses of the event. Every dollar contributed by participants and sponsors goes directly to the endowed funds established at the Fox Valley and Green Bay Community Foundations.
The U.S. Oil Open Fund for Basic Needs will help people struggling to secure basic life needs such as housing, health care, and job skills. Funds are managed by advisory committees at each of the Community Foundations, with 10 percent of the fund balance being given to non-profit organizations in grants annually.
Highlights of the event included the announcement of a grantmaking partnership between U.S. Oil Co., Inc. and the J.J. Keller Foundation, Inc. In 2008, the J.J. Keller Foundation, Inc. will match the grantmaking dollars available through the U.S. Oil Open Fund for Basic Needs. This partnership will result in nearly $1.2 million dollars for local non-profits in 2008.
"We couldn't be more excited about this partnership," said John Schmidt, President & CEO of U.S. Oil Co., Inc. "The Keller family is a group of generous people who truly want to make this community an even better place to live. We really hope that this partnership will inspire other businesses and families to create collaborations to address the needs of our community."
