Chicken & All That Jazz will jazz up Sheboygan on August 10
Annual fundraiser to raise funds for UW-Sheboygan scholarships

What is better than a warm summer evening spent outdoors eating a hearty grilled chicken dinner complete with fresh roasted sweet corn and live upbeat music? Nothing, except doing it for a good cause such as higher education!

Area residents will have an opportunity to enjoy a popular outdoor community picnic and support scholarships for area students at UW-Sheboygan by simply attending this year’s Chicken & All That Jazz fundraising picnic, sponsored by the UW-Sheboygan Foundation.

Set for Wednesday, August 10 on the scenic 70-acre UW-Sheboygan campus, Chicken & All That Jazz 2011 will feature live Dixieland jazz music throughout the evening courtesy of the popular Rhythm Aces 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 until 8:30 p.m. A special Ice Cream Sundae and Bake Sale tent also will be available to guests throughout the night.

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 Corporate and 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 tents.

“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.

Financial support for UW-Sheboygan and its students is needed now more than ever with the influx of new students needing financial aid, many of whom are seeking higher education after an unexpected layoff, 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.”

For UW-Sheboygan graduate Linda Lee, a UW-Sheboygan scholarship made all the difference in the world.

“I selected UW-Sheboygan because of the convenience of the campus being in my hometown and the affordable tuition,” Lee said, who will transfer to UW-Milwaukee this fall as UW-Sheboygan’s 2011 Graduate of the Year. “The scholarships offered to me validated my quest for higher education. I did not want my tuition to be a financial burden on my family and so the scholarships available from the UW-Sheboygan Foundation have been greatly appreciated.”

Tickets for the event are $15 each in advance or $17 at the door. Advance ticket purchases are encouraged. Tickets are available at all area Piggly Wiggly stores including Sheboygan (north side location only), Howards Grove, Cedar Grove, Plymouth, Oostburg and Sheboygan Falls, as well as Woodlake Market in Kohler. Tickets also can be purchased at the UW-Sheboygan Business Services Office, from any UW-Sheboygan Foundation member, at Van De Kreeke & Associates in Sheboygan or by contacting Hoppe at (920) 459-6612 or 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.