Jazzin’ up Summer
Annual Chicken & All That Jazz fundraiser to be held August 11

What says community picnic more than delicious grilled chicken, fresh roasted corn and live music – all set outdoors under a beautiful summer sky?

Area residents will get all that and more at this year’s Chicken & All That Jazz fundraising picnic, sponsored by the UW-Sheboygan Foundation.

This year’s annual picnic will be held Wednesday, August 11, on the scenic 70-acre UW-Sheboygan campus. As always, Chicken & All That Jazz 2010 will feature live Dixieland jazz music throughout the evening courtesy of the popular Riverboat Rascals and a hearty grilled chicken dinner, complete with a half chicken, fresh roasted corn and all the extras.

Beer and soda will be sold separately but available all evening. Dinner will be served from 4:30 to 8 p.m., with musical entertainment provided all evening until 8:30 p.m. A new dessert booth/bake sale will be offered with home-baked treats donated by UW-Sheboygan faculty and staff.

Attracting a record-breaking nearly 1,500 patrons last year, Chicken & All That Jazz continues to grow in scope and popularity. Besides offering area residents a great excuse to indulge in a tasty picnic dinner with family and friends, the fundraiser provides the opportunity for all to support higher education in the community.

“Each year, the UW-Sheboygan Foundation awards more than $100,000 in scholarships to deserving UW-Sheboygan students,” said Carrie Hoppe, UW-Sheboygan Foundation executive director. “Many of the students who receive these scholarships could not attend college without this local, community-funded financial assistance. And with the state of the economy today, it is refreshing and inspiring seeing our own local residents so willing to give to those in need. Truly, the scholarships provided to many of the students attending UW-Sheboygan are the difference between affording college – or not, and Chicken & All The Jazz is a huge reason those funds are available to them.”

Many area businesses and groups faithfully attend Chicken & All That Jazz each summer as Reserved Table sponsors. Reserved tables are available at an additional charge for groups in a special area, putting them in a prime location right near the band and food areas. Advance drink tickets are also available for those reserving tables.

“The UW-Sheboygan Foundation invites area businesses and groups to hold their company picnics or parties at Chicken & All That Jazz. Anyone can reserve a table – from a birthday party to a local non-profit board,” Hoppe added. “This way, you and your guests or colleagues enjoy a group gathering without the setup or cleanup work – and at a truly affordable cost.”

The UW-Sheboygan Foundation’s primary mission is to support the UW-Sheboygan campus and its students and help keep higher education affordable for local residents wanting to pursue a college education. Over just the past 10 years, the Foundation has provided hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships to deserving UW-Sheboygan students, as well as spearheading major capital campaigns such as the Frank G. & Frieda K. Brotz Science Building and the new ACUITY Technology Center.

The Foundation saw its scholarship fund grow considerably in 2009 with the creation of several new endowments and funds, including the Barrett Scherff Life Sciences Scholarship, the Emily Hughes Memorial Scholarship and Jack Snyder Memorial Fund (in memory of the late UW-Sheboygan Athletics Director Jack Snyder).

Financial support for UW-Sheboygan students is needed now more than ever with more and more area students – both recent high school graduates and adult students --turning to their local campus for a college education and new career opportunities, Hoppe added.

“The funds provided by the UW-Sheboygan Foundation are invaluable to the campus,” Hoppe said. “Many of the programs the campus provides for students and the community, as well as many of the equipment upgrades the university has instituted in recent years, would not have been possible without additional financial support.”

Tickets for the event are $15 each in advance or $17 at the door. Advance ticket purchases are encouraged. Tickets are available at several local Piggly Wiggly stores, including the Tietz’s Northgate Piggly Wiggly store in Sheboygan store and Piggly Wiggly stores in Plymouth, Sheboygan Falls, Howards Grove, Cedar Grove and Oostburg, well as Woodlake Market in Kohler. Tickets also will be available at the UW-Sheboygan Business Office and at Van De Kreeke and Associates, or by calling (920) 459-6612 or emailing carrie.hoppe@uwc.edu.

UW-Sheboygan is located off Taylor Drive on University Drive. Parking for the event is available in both the east and west parking lots, but tables and the serving tent for the picnic will be located on the East lawn next to the Gym and between the Fine Arts Building and the Gymnasium.

For more information on tickets, reserved tables or the UW-Sheboygan Foundation, contact Hoppe at (920) 459-6612, e-mail carrie.hoppe@uwc.edu, or visit www.sheboygan.uwc.edu.