The customer donations through utilities and the generosity of donors is so important for what Keep Wisconsin Warm/Cool Fund (KWW/CF) is able to do for people in need. The real unsung heroes have been the tens of thousands of contributors statewide from customers and donors every month. On top of this, thankfully, there has been a growing number of individuals from the Marinette area in northern Wisconsin to Madison in the south, both small and large, who have included Keep Wisconsin Warm/Cool Fund in their estate planning by donating as much as $10,000 each.
Beth Kille, co-founder of Flannel Fest, singing with her band during the concert at High Noon Saloon in Madison, WI, Photo by Mike Rausch
The 5th annual Flannel Fest, a celebration of the local and national Americana music scene, was held at two locations this year on Friday, November 2nd and Saturday, November 3rd and raised significant money for Keep Wisconsin Warm/Cool Fund and Heat and Housing for Heroes.
“This was our 5th year and it’s really starting to come into its own,” says Flannel Fest organizer and co-founder Beth Kille. “I really feel like this was the best year so far in so many ways.”
"They were one of the first, beyond the traditional public service announcements, to really mobilize corporate support to raise public awareness and directly involve themselves in the ongoing fundraising activities of Keep Wisconsin Warm/Cool Fund, and more recently, Heat and Housing for Heroes,” says Energy Services, Inc. Executive Director Tim Bruer.
Weatherman Gary Cannalte shown here with a past weather calendar from 2014 when the partnership between KWW/CF and Channel 3000 started.
One of the “Caring Crafers” sorting through donated yarn for creating crafts that make a difference for people in need in the community.
Literally thousands of our Wisconsin veterans are forced to choose between eating or heating each and every day. A group of women in Watertown, Wisconsin, are using their ability to knit and sew and are putting their talents to use to make a big difference in those veterans lives.
The Caring Crafters are a group of over 60 individuals who meet every Tuesday from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the Watertown Community Center and make handmade items for various charities including scarves, hats, mittens, lap robes, prayer shawls, and much more. Watertown is located in southeastern Wisconsin, approximately midway between Madison and Milwaukee.
For nearly 90 years, the thing that’s helped make Madison-based Schoep’s Ice Cream a leader in the industry has been its reliance on family and community.
Keeping much of the same formula over the years, Schoep’s has tried to give back wherever there was an opportunity. So, when Tim Bruer, Keep Wisconsin Warm/Cool Fund and Heat and Housing for Heroes Founder, approached Schoep’s CEO/President Al Thomsen with a chance to do just that, he didn’t hesitate. Instead, he jumped into action.
