Milwaukee Magazine

#WomenoftheWeek Over 25 years, Patti Gorsky and her team have brought joy to thousands of children with critical illnesses – and have transformed?Make-A-Wish Wisconsin. When she started as president and CEO in 1999, the Wisconsin chapter granted approximately 100 wishes a year on a $1 million budget – now it makes 450 wishes come true with nearly $10 million each year. Wisconsin is now one of the strongest Make-A-Wish chapters thanks to her leadership as well as that of her dedicated board of directors and staff. “Our work is about community coming together to make magic for kids," she says. Photo by Boutique Photographer Linda Smallpage. #milwaukeemag #sponsored

College Athletics has always been about more than the players and coaches, and arguably no one has had more of an impact on the experience of a modern University of Wisconsin-Madison sports fan than Mike Leckrone. By the time he retired in 2019, he’d been director of UW’s bands for an astonishing 50 years. He authored beloved Badger traditions like the Fifth Quarter postgame show and forged countless memories with his showmanship and sequined outfits during the annual spring concert. Leckrone collaborates with longtime Madison columnist and occasional Milwaukee Magazine contributor Doug Moe to reflect on a monumental career and countless UW memories in a recently published memoir. A portion of the book,?'Moments of Happiness: A Wisconsin Band Story,' is excerpted here: https://lnkd.in/gTT67ycP Photo by Gary Smith #UWmarchingband #UWMadison #milwaukeemag #marchingband #bookexcerpt

We are thrilled to share that we have been nominated for six City and Regional Magazine Awards, including a nomination for General Excellence for the second year in a row! ?? #CRMA #cityregionalmagazine #milwaukeemagazine #magazine

Hello! Just hopping on LinkedIn to briefly drop some good news. Today, I was nominated for two National City and Regional Magazine Awards for my writing at Milwaukee Magazine! One is for my cultural history of “Happy Days” in Milwaukee, the other for my profile of Kevin Shafer, the head of MMSD. (Plus, MilMag was nominated for General Excellence for the second year in a row!) You can read those stories here, if you’re so inclined. I’m honored/excited/still slightly bewildered by the nominations—I plan to celebrate like a true professional by eating a whole bag of Sour Patch Kids.

A proposal to boost taxes for a neighborhood improvement district sparked a rancorous debate and soul-searching in Riverwest. Read our Big Story about the controversial proposal here: https://lnkd.in/gmHYeeSC Illustration by Michael Waraksa #Riverwest #MilwaukeeMag #Milwaukee #neighborhoodimprovementdistrict

No other grant is this gooey. For 10 years, the?Grilled Cheese Grant?has supported emerging visual artists by selling the namesake sandwich at an annual fundraising event, and this year’s event on March 15 at Vanguard Sculpture Services is no exception. How does it work? The five finalists present their creative projects while attendees – with a donation of?$10 or more – grub on grilled cheeses (with toppings of choice) and vote for their favorite. The first-place winner receives the most funding, although the past two events have raised enough money to fully fund every project – over $5,800 in 2024. Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/gTreFNGR #milwaukeemag #milwaukee #grilledcheesegrant

#WomenofDistinction Sarah Whiting's career has always?been driven by a desire to help children and families.?She started her professional life as a social worker with Wraparound Milwaukee, where she connected families with mental health, educational?and legal services. After she graduated from Marquette Law School, she went into family law to continue serving families.?“Practicing family law can be emotionally grueling, but if you really care, it can be incredibly fulfilling,” says Whiting, who represents people in cases including divorce, paternity, grandparent visitation, child support and more. #sponsored Photo by Boutique Photographer Linda Smallpage.

A new $150 million project, called?The Opportunity Center, is the joint effort of Damian Buchman, founder and executive director of The Ability Center, and Frank Cumberbatch, vice president of engagement at Bader Philanthropies. Read the story: https://lnkd.in/gT9Rekkx Rendering by Kahler Slater, courtesy of The Opportunity Center

#WomenAchievers From innovative businesswomen to compassionate leaders and creative visionaries, these women exemplify strength, resilience and brilliance and have all left their mark on our city. ?Alexx Zawada, Chief Marketing Officer at Potawatomi Casino Hotel ?Chris Zajdel, Owner and Founder of Skiin Anti-Aging Lounge ?Nicosia King, Founder and President of Golden Path Home Care and GP Trucking ?Lori Watt, Founder and President of IAG Wealth Partners ?Randi K., Gail K. and Sarah K., BILTRITE Furniture-Leather-Mattresses family members ?Gina Della, Vice President of Marketing at Pella Windows & Doors of Wisconsin ?Jayme Heineck, Financial Advisor at IAG Wealth Partners ?Anne Sapienza, CRPC?, Partner and Financial Advisor at IAG Wealth Partners #sponsored

When Milwaukee-based Bon-Ton Stores Inc. filed for bankruptcy in 2018, it spelled doom for the company’s long-standing Boston Store locations in the Milwaukee area. The closure of Boston Store left colossal and prime vacant spaces at five Milwaukee-area malls – Bayshore, Brookfield Square, Mayfair, Southridge and what had been the Grand Avenue Mall and later the Shops of Grand Avenue. Nearly seven years later, the former Boston Store spaces in each of these locations have either been replaced with new retail stores or are targets of redevelopments. Read the story by Rich Rovito here. #milwaukeemag #milwaukee #bostonstore