| Purpose:
To foster
a continuance of the tradition of academic excellence and
achievement at Washington High School
To solicit, raise, collect and earn funds from alumni, friends
and associates of Washington High School.
To distribute income and funds from these efforts to worthy
programs of Washington High School that lead to academic success
and scholarship opportunities for students.
The selection
of fundable programs will be the product of faculty and staff
recommendation, with supervised implementation. To provide assistance,
financial and otherwise, for the pursuit of a college education
to worthy graduates of Washington High School.
History:
The Washington High Scholl Alumni Scholarship Foundation, Inc.,
was established in 1961 in conjunction with the 50th Anniversary
reunion activities of the school. The surplus funds from the
celebration provided the Foundation with its initial capital.
Since then many alumni, faculty members, class reunions and
graduating classes have presented the Foundation with additional
monies. The 75th all school reunion added dollars to the Foundation
as well as expanded its involvement in the school and its students.
Originally founded as the Balzer-Schardt Scholarship Foundation,
its sole purpose was the awarding of scholarships to college
bound graduates. The first scholarship was granted in 1961 for
$250. The Board of Directors, consisting of 20 alumni of the
high school, representing the 30,000 grads and friends of the
school who make up the organization, has since awarded scholarships
totaling more than $100,000. The Board also selects students
to receive scholarships from the Burling-Potthast Trust administered
by a local bank. In the past 30 years an additional $110,000
has gone to Washingtonians to further their education. The Board
is a volunteer activity. There is no paid staff. Expenses have
been restricted to printing costs and legal filing fees. The
total expenses for the Foundation since 1961 have been less
than $5000.
Activities:
College bound students have been assisted as undergraduates
with scholarships for the advanced placement testing program
of the ACT. The Foundation has helped underwrite the cost of
these tests for the past 10 years. A Junior in Student Government
has been recognized with the Brandl Chair for Citizenship. This
award, named for former principal Jerome Brandl, sends the student
leader to a one-week training program sponsored by the American
Association of Secondary School Principals. In addition to allowing
the student to select the location of the program, airfare and
a stipend are granted. These students return for their senior
year with an excitement and determination that influences their
fellow students and benefits the school. Undergraduate programs
at the school have benefited from the generosity of past graduates.
Programs stimulating and rewarding attendance, scholarship,
citizenship and participation have been funded. Specialized
programs dealing with drug abuse and its prevention, teen pregnancy
and peer support programs have been funded. The music department
has taken advantage of a special program of the Milwaukee Symphony
Orchestra, which combines music with Literature, Art and History.
The Foundation has sent 80 students and chaperones to these
programs each of the past 6 years. In addition to the MSO program,
the faculty has selected individual performances where small
groups of students, some for the first time, are exposed to
the symphony and classical artists. Tickets to faculty selected
theatrical productions of the Milwaukee Children's Theater were
purchased by the Foundation to benefit selected students. The
Foundation has worked with the various athletic coaches at the
school providing financial support for their programs. Funds
have been provided to the Foundation through a bequest from
a former teacher specifically for athletic programs. The State
Champion Girl and Boy's basketball teams have attended summer
instructional leagues. The football team has been provided with
T-shirts and sweatshirts.
Fund Raising:
The Foundation is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service
as a 501[c]3, tax-exempt organization, and as such, any and
all funds donated are deductible on personal income tax returns.
Through this mechanism, donations are actively sought; provisions
for direct named scholarships have been made; gifts of appreciated
securities are accepted; and testamentary bequests are being
requested. Numerous alumni have made donations, which qualified
for corporate matching gifts to the Foundation, thus gaining
support from industry in our efforts. The Foundation collects
information from reunion activies of the various classes and
is building a database of past graduate information. This information
can be shared with classmates and classes planning their reunion
in exchange for donations of excess dollars to the Foundation.
The Valentine luncheon, an annual event for women graduates
of the high school has raised over $30,000 in the past 7 years
for the Foundation.
Contact:
For additional information and assistance with reunion plans,
contact Washington High School Alumni Scholarship Foundation,
Inc. Mike Kozlow '62, Treasurer Everen Securities 6980 North
Port Washington Road Milwaukee, WI 53217 414-540-3917 800-282-4880
Email: thekoz@milwpc.com
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