It’s an event 170 years in the making. On August 25th, 2017, the Milwaukee Public Schools Foundation, Inc. will host its inaugural awards dinner for MPS alumni, friends and other supporters — inspiring guests to ‘leave a legacy’ for students across the public school district.

In addition to a full-course dinner and cocktail hour, held at the Italian Community Center, guests of the event will take in the Foundation’s first-ever awards ceremony, which will recognize the achievements of several distinguished MPS alumni. Among the nine honorees includes Allan H. “Bud” Selig, Commissioner Emeritus of Major League Baseball, and Milwaukee Brewers’ founder and former president.

The Alumni Awards Dinner will honor individuals in seven categories. The full list of awardees includes:

• Lifetime Achievement Award: Allan H. “Bud” Selig, Commissioner Emeritus, Major League Baseball | Washington High School Alumnus
• Start, Stay, Succeed Champion Award: Michael Harris, Principal, and Nathaniel Deans, Teacher, Riverside University High School | Riverside High School Alumni
• Outstanding Alumni Award: Patricia Contreras, Director – Global Community Relations & Contributions, Rockwell Automation | Milwaukee Tech High School Alumna
• Young Alumni Award: Keith Stanley, Executive Director, Near West Side Partners | Rufus King High School Alumnus
• Service Award: Jackie Herd-Barber, Community Volunteer Extraordinaire | Custer High School Alumna
• Corporate Partner Award: Dr. William “Bill” Berezowitz, Vice President and General Manager, GE Healthcare | Bay View High School Alumnus
• Honorary Alumni Award: Joe and Jennifer Bartolotta, Bartolotta Restaurant Group

The special event subsequently marks the kickoff of the Foundation’s annual giving campaign. Since 1998, the MPS Foundation has served to promote educational excellence and strengthen community participation through its various fundraising efforts. Despite being the largest public school district in Wisconsin, data shows MPS students consistently receive the lowest rates of funding per pupil in the state.

Last year, the non-profit organization received contributions of about $$1,088,899 — an increase of approximately 39% over 2015. The funds are used to support high-quality educational events, corporate partnership programs, project grants and classroom resources, which help improve academic achievement of the nearly 76,000 students attending Milwaukee Public Schools. The organization also provides more than $60,000 in college scholarships, annually.

MPS Foundation Executive Director, Ann Terrell, says she hopes the event will help shine a light on the need for private funding support.

“We’re hoping that memorable events such as the Alumni Awards Dinner will not only spotlight the many notable alumni coming out of our school district, but also engage former students and community members in a great cause,” Terrell said. “We have been able to extend the impact of several pioneering programs for students and we are honored to support MPS’ continued progress. The MPS Foundation is poised to create long-lasting partnerships and collaborations between businesses, nonprofits, communities of faith, other foundations and the school district.”

The Alumni Awards Dinner accompanies a weekend full of alumni activities:

Friday, August 25, 2017

• Back to School – Alumni are invited to visit their old stomping ground and see what exciting changes have taken place since they were a students there! Register Here
• 1st Annual Alumni Dinner – Join the MPS Foundation as they recognize 9 remarkable individuals for their accomplishments Purchase Tickets

Saturday, August 26, 2017

• Run Back to School – Be part of the MPS Alumni team at the 10th Annual MPS Run Back to School event. This 5K Fun Run/1.5 Mile Walk supports MPS youth recreation and wellness programs across the district. Registration is easy and includes an MPS Alumni t-shirt! Register Here – Please indicate “MPS Alumni” in the school group field
• Alumni Picnic – Following the Run Back to School event, plan to grab a burger and network and reminisce with old friends at the alumni-only picnic! Register Here

To purchase tickets or to make a donation to the MPS Foundation, please visit: http://www.mpsfoundation.net/.