News

Editor’s Note: The following was provided by Knight Public Affairs, LLC.

The Discover Whitewater Series (DWS): Half Marathon, 5k, and W3 Fit Kid Shuffle held their eleventh annual race banquet on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, at Willow Brook Golf Course. Race sponsors, team leaders, volunteers, and four local charities came together for an evening to celebrate the accomplishments of the 11th Annual DWS race. 

During the banquet, the DWS presented $5,000 to each of the four charity partners to total $20,000 distributed. The four charities include: Working for Whitewater’s Wellness (W3), Bethel House, Whitewater LEADS, and the J-Hawk Aquatic Club. In addition $260 was donated directly from anonymous individuals to the charities of their choosing on the DWS website. Throughout the past eleven years, the DWS has raised a total of $274,500 for the local charities of Whitewater. 

“DWS’ mission is to make this a community event and give back to organizations that dedicate their time and support others in the city of Whitewater. ”DWS Executive Director Jeffery Knight says, “I’m glad we get to celebrate the hard work of the individuals who put a lot of effort into the race. It was an honor to present these distinguished charities each $5,000 and I look forward to doing it for years to come.”

“This is our eleventh annual banquet and it’s always a wonderful night to get together, to enjoy our friendship and get excited for next year’s race,” said Greater Whitewater Committee Chairman, Crystal Singer. 

“It is great to see all of the hard work pay off on race day, from the sponsors, volunteers, and community members. It really makes the DWS a special community event,” said Race Director, Dawson Miller. 

The DWS Team would like to thank everyone who came together to make the 11th Annual race a success. The banquet celebrated the hard work and dedication that was put forth by the volunteers, sponsors, charity partners, and team leaders who make the DWS an event to remember year after year. 

For further details, please contact Executive Director, Jeffery Knight, at 920.728.0662 or jpk@knightpublicaffairs.com.

About the DWS

The goal of the DWS is to promote the City of Whitewater and highlight its greatest features, while keeping everyone in the community active. All the proceeds from the race are donated to four local non-profit partners: Bethel House (which provides interim housing for homeless families), Whitewater LEADS, Working for Whitewater’s Wellness (W3), and the J-Hawk Aquatic Club. The DWS partners with the city, business community, and the university to make this a tremendous event that benefits all who participate. For more information about the race visit: www.runwhitewater.com.

On Wednesday, November 8, Whitewater High School honored our bus drivers, thanking them for getting our students to school safely every day! As each bus rolled up, the driver was greeted with a “thank you” and a bag of treats.

Each bag represented the collective effort from multiple student groups. Key Club decorated the bags, Ferradermis wrote individual thank you messages, Advanced Foods class baked treats for each bag, and Student Council provided the lemonades and arrived early in order to greet each of our buses and deliver the thank you bags. 

Article and Photos Submitted by Kate McNulty, WHS
kmcnulty@wwusd.org

Editor’s Note: The following was provided by the Whitewater Kiwanis.

The Whitewater Kiwanis Breakfast Club is selling florist-quality, red and white poinsettia plants, in 6.5 -inch pots with plants for $18. Orders are due November 10, and the plants will be available December 1 and 2.

Whitewater Kiwanis Breakfast Club President Patrick Taylor said, “We are delighted to be able to sell florist-quality poinsettias from a new grower this year, with the funds helping children in our community and the world as well as brightening your holidays.” 

If you would like a plant, please contact any Kiwanian or contact Jerry Grant at 262-473-2214 or Penny Ardelt at pardelt@firstcitizensww.com or 262-473-1411.

Whitewater Kiwanis is a group of dedicated volunteers who help both children of the Whitewater community and the world. Over the past several years the club raised funds to make possible the recent installation of the city’s first piece of inclusive playground equipment, a We-Go-Round, in Starin Park.  Annual donations are also made to provide shoes and winter clothes for students, as well as support for organizations such as the Whitewater Food Pantry, Bethel House, The Community Space, and the Whitewater Youth Soccer Club.

If you have an interest in helping youth in Whitewater, you can check out Whitewater Kiwanis on Facebook and join our Club by contacting Patrick Taylor at Petaylor.law@gmail.com.

Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time.

Editor’s Note: The following was shared by Jorge Islas Martinez from the Whitewater Unified School District.

Join us on November 9th, at UW-W at Rock County, 2909 Kellogg Ave, Janesville, for a climate change and environmental discussion with professor Dr. Tracey Holloway!

Learn about the atmosphere, how our past experiences will change how we address our earth in the present, and discuss how we can make a sustainable impact on our planet.

Editor’s note: The Banner appreciates having permission to use the image on the homepage by Anja from Pixabay.

The WHS Choirs presented their Fall Concert “Why We Sing” on October 18th in the James M. Stewart Auditorium at Whitewater High School under the direction of Mrs. Karen Tordera.  The students from the Bel Canto Choir, Cadenza Singers, and Music Masters Ensemble performed songs that highlighted the reasons we sing. Ms. Kathy Schereck was the collaborative keyboard artist and fiddler Eric Funk added a country feel to a song sung by Cadenza Singers. The Choirs collected items for a community baby shower which were donated to The Community Space in Whitewater. Congratulations to the WHS Choirs on a fine concert and a big thank you to all who donated to the community baby shower!!  (Concert Photos Credit: Tom Ganser) 

Editor’s note: This announcement was provided by Karen Tordera.

Editor’s note: The following press release was received from Fort HealthCare.

For 39 years, an honored holiday season tradition at Fort HealthCare is the Partners Love Light Tree project. Lights are purchased by community members and added to special trees surrounding Fort Memorial Hospital. The Love Lights Tree project began in 1985. It is a heartfelt way to honor loved ones who are amongst us (colored lights) or to memorialize those who have passed away (white lights). Every year, all monies raised through the Love Light Tree project help to fund special services and projects. 

In 2023, Love Lights campaign funds raised will be used to help subsidize the cost of the CareLine service for those who cannot afford it. CareLine is a medical personal emergency response service that allows subscribers to get emergency help 24/7 at the press of a button. Funds will also be used to support several healthcare scholarships for students and professionals in the community. 

Kari Behling, Fort HealthCare Volunteer Services Manager, states, “The CareLine Program is so important to our community. It allows individuals to remain in their homes and avoid losing their independence. It also provides peace of mind for their families and loved ones knowing that help can be accessed quickly.  For community members who have chronic health conditions and cannot afford this life-saving alert system, the funds raised will allow the Partners CareLine Program to provide FREE or reduced rates to qualifying clients.” 

Behling adds, “We also believe that providing scholarships to students and professionals seeking further education in healthcare is important because they are our future. We want to ensure that the people entering the healthcare field have resources available to pay for their education. Your contributions to these worthwhile projects will be greatly appreciated by the Partners and the many local people who will benefit.”

Purchasing Love Lights

Love Lights order forms are available at www.forthealthcare.com/lovelights, The form and payment can be sent through the mail or made directly through the website (there is a $5 minimum required for online donations, which automatically purchases two lights). Honor cards can be emailed to individuals to show that you’ve made a gift in their honor. Donations of $25 or more are recognized as Love Light Tree sponsors. To ensure you are properly recognized in this year’s sponsor and donor listings published in late December, Fort HealthCare Partners must receive your donations by December 6^th.

Love Lights Tree Lighting Ceremony 

The Love Lights Tree lighting ceremony will take place on Tuesday, December 5th, at 6:30 p.m. on the Sherman Avenue lawn in front of Fort Memorial Hospital in Fort Atkinson.

About Fort HealthCare and our Partners

Fort HealthCare is committed to improving the health and well-being of our communities, with a vision to be the healthiest community in Wisconsin. As the leading healthcare provider in the region, it is our goal to reach as many members of the community as possible with health and wellness messages, providing tools and resources to help individuals improve their health and quality of life while collaborating with several partners to positively improve the population’s health overall on a long-term basis.

As members of the Fort HealthCare Partners organization, Fort Memorial Hospital volunteers are an invaluable resource to the community and a vital part of any healthcare organization. Important roles filled by volunteers add a tremendous amount of value to Fort HealthCare’s services. Call 920-568-5276 or toll-free at 1-800-421-4677 ext. 5276 or visit FortHealthcare.com/volunteer to learn more. More information and donations for Love Lights Tree can be viewed at www.FortHealthCare.com/LoveLights. 

Chuck Owen & ReSurgence – 11/8/23 @7:30 p.m.

5-time GRAMMY nominee, Chuck Owen, unveils his latest musical project with this All-Star jazz septet!  Recognized internationally for his unique compositional voice, Chuck’s creative, evocative, and intensely personal compositions are steeped in the jazz tradition but draw liberally and playfully from an array of additional influences – classical, American folk/roots music, Latin, funk, and more!

ReSurgence (as the name implies) is largely culled from his acclaimed 19-piece Jazz Surge family.  The incredibly accomplished personnel (all Grammy nominees and leaders in their own right) includes: Kate McGarry – Voice, Sara Caswell – Violin, Corey Christiansen – Guitar, Danny Gottlieb, Drums, Mark Neuenschwander – Bass, Chuck Owen – Keyboards, Jack Wilkins – Saxophones.

Tickets are $28 when purchased online; an additional service fee applies if purchased at the door.

Young Auditorium serves as a presenting organization for the performing arts and as an educational and cultural center enriching the lives of regional communities. Tickets for any show can be purchased online, by calling the Box Office at (262) 472-2222, or in person. Ticket Services is located in the atrium of Greenhill Center of the Arts, 950 West Main Street, Whitewater, and they are open Monday-Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. There are two parking stalls in lot 1 that are for ticket purchasing. The Young Auditorium is adjacent to this building at 930 West Main Street, Whitewater, WI 53190, and parking is always free during your event. To learn more, visit www.YoungAuditorium.com.