In 1986, Bill Schmidt, youngest of the Schmidt brothers, started the first golf outing originally called the U.S. Oil Open for Diabetes. The money raised stayed in the community and a fund was set up at the newly formed Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region. It was our very first fund established at the Community Foundation.

Golfers might not get to swing a 5 iron or raise a toast in person this year, but everyone can still help eradicate poverty in the Fox Valley at this year’s U.S. Venture Open.

To follow CDC recommendations on social distancing, the 2020 U.S. Venture Open will forgo golf at multiple regional golf courses and the evening dinner at Van Abel’s of Hollandtown. Instead, the event will move into a space designed to educate, activate and inform donors about how the funds raised help the most vulnerable in our communities.

This Wednesday, August 12, WBAY-TV and Woodward Communications are helping U.S. Venture host its first-ever U.S. Venture Open Media-thon. The media platforms will educate the public through live reports, stories, and talk shows culminating in a day of celebration and fundraising. Woodward Communications will air programming on its stations all day, live reports will be featured on WBAY-TV 2 throughout the day, and WBAY will televise a one-hour program communicating the need for regional nonprofits.

Long-time partners Van Abel’s will host small teams of socially distant partners to take your calls all day on August 12. You can help those most in need in Northeast Wisconsin with a donation—and every dollar you donate will be matched in grants by our lead partners: U.S. Venture, J. J. Keller Foundation, Oshkosh Corporation, Thrivent, and ThedaCare.

How can you help?

• Learn more by listening to reports on WBAY-TV 2 or Woodward radio stations: WHBY, WAPL, KISS FM, The SCORE, RAZOR, KZ-104.3
• Donate NOW by visiting the donate page or text “USVO” to 762-78.
• Plan to donate on August 12 by watching WBAY-TV 2 and calling in your donation or listen to Woodward radio stations
• The online auction will open on July 29 and close at 7:30 p.m. on August 12.

The U.S. Venture Open is the nation’s single largest one-day charitable event dedicated to ending poverty. Funds from the event are held within the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region, the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation and the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation, with grants made to collaborating non-profit organizations across Northeast Wisconsin. Last year the outing raised $4.3 million and a gift of $925,000 from the David A. Thiede estate, brought the total to a record-breaking $5.2 million in the one-day charitable event.

What does a Community Foundation do? Glad you asked! Learn more here.