Madison Reading Project announces READ(y) to Wear 2024 fashion show

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information:
Rowan Childs, (608) 347-7970, rowan@madisonreadingproject.com
Ann Christianson (608) 345-0792, ann@madisonreadingproject.com

MADISON — Madison Reading Project proudly announces that its signature fundraiser, READ(y) to Wear, will be held on June 12, 2024 and is expected to break records in funds raised and attendance set at this year’s event. 

“This year was a fantastic event held at The Sylvee for the first time, and we’re excited that our 7th annual paper-inspired fashion show will return to The Sylvee in 2024,” says Rowan Childs, Madison Reading Project founder/executive director.

“This event brings together lovers of reading and fashion in support of local literacy,” says Ann Christianson, development coordinator. By attending and sponsoring READ(y) to Wear, you make it possible for us to continue providing another 100,000 free books for kids in the Dane County area.

“Partnering with The Sylvee, a Frank Productions Live venue, promises another evening of high energy fun and an added coolness factor,” Christianson adds.

“We’re currently brainstorming theme ideas for our paper-inspired fashion show and considering celebrity judges and hosts,” Childs says. “Our Venetian Masquerade Ball was a huge hit and we expect our 2024 festivities will again set records for attendance, money raised and fun to be had in the name of love for books and children’s literacy.” 

“I was blown away by the creativity and talent of the design teams and the enthusiasm of the crowd,” says Jeff Mack, First Vice President, Park Bank, and a celebrity judge. “From the moment the show started and the models walked the runway, to the crowning of the final winning design, it was magical. And, all for an amazing cause. I will be back next year for sure.”

2024 READ(y) to Wear – A paper-inspired fashion show and fundraiser, is generously sponsored by FPC Live.  Sponsor promotion begins in January when teams are recruited to create their paper outfits. 

Nearly 500 people are expected to attend in 2024 with thousands of followers reached through Madison Reading Project’s social media. 

Contact ann@madisonreadingproject.com for more information.

Photos and video from this year’s celebration may be found at https://www.madisonreadingproject.com/readytowear2023.

Madison Reading Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2013, engages with over 215 local partner organizations to connect the community with free books and literacy resources that ignite a love for reading one book at a time. 

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Bernie Sanders, Adam Kinzinger Announced as Cap Times Idea Fest Speakers, Tickets Now on Sale

MADISON, Wis. –– A few months ago, Cap Times publisher Paul Fanlund announced that the seventh annual Cap Times Idea Fest will once again be a hybrid of virtual and in-person events from Sept. 17-23 across Madison. This morning, Cap Times associate editor John Nichols announced U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders — the iconic progressive leader who has been a contender for the Democratic presidential nomination — as the keynote speaker on Friday night, Sept. 22. Other guests at the festival include former U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, former PBS NewsHour anchor Judy Woodruff, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and many more, with session topics ranging from hunger to artificial intelligence and free speech.

Read more here

Good Karma Brands Announces Newest Iteration of Partnership with ESPN

Good Karma Brands, which owns and operates ESPN Madison, ESPN Milwaukee, and ESPN Beaver Dam, announced our newest iteration of our partnership with ESPN via a letter from our CEO, Craig Karmazin, to our team.

GKB has entered into an agreement for the company to handle sales and sales operations of ESPN Radio Network and the ESPN Podcast business.

See the full announcement on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7091758931445772288

For more, visit: https://goodkarmabrands.com/

Pellitteri Waste Systems: Safely Managing the Disposal of Rechargeable Batteries: A Call for Public Awareness and Policy Action

FMI:
Joleen Engeseth
Marketing Coordinator
608-257-6232 ext. 346
Joleene@pellitteri.com

Safely Managing the Disposal of Rechargeable Batteries: A Call for Public Awareness and Policy Action 

When rechargeable (lithium) batteries are disposed of in the trash or recycling, they pose a significant risk to combust and cause fires. In the past eight months, two Southern Wisconsin recycling facilities have experienced catastrophic damage from fires that are believed to have begun by rechargeable batteries — Columbia County Recycling and Solid Waste facility in Portage and a City of Milwaukee recycling facility. A third recycling facility fire at John’s Disposal in Whitewater may have also been caused by a rechargeable battery. Recycling Centers are particularly sensitive to fires because of the amount of paper and cardboard being recycled.

Rechargeable batteries have gained widespread popularity because they are compact, lightweight, and have high energy storage capacity, making them indispensable to our modern, on-the-go lifestyles. From cell phones, tablets, and laptops to power tools, scooters, and electric cars, rechargeable batteries power our world. As rechargeable and other, newer battery technologies become abundant in our daily lives, it is crucial to address the hazards associated with their disposal.

In writing this, I hope that we can get the word out to everyone that rechargeable batteries, and products that contain these batteries, cannot go in the trash or recycling without creating a major risk to waste handling facilities. In Wisconsin, we are fortunate to have a robust waste and recycling system infrastructure composed of recycling centers, transfer stations and landfills that keep waste contained and out of the public realm. As rechargeable and other battery technologies have become more prevalent, so have battery-related fires within these facilities. Each one of these fires has the potential to not just knock out local infrastructure, but also to threaten the lives of workers. 

The number of fires will continue to grow if these batteries are disposed of by traditional methods. Recycling facilities are complex operations, with high-tech sorting technologies. When a recycling facility has a catastrophic fire, it could take a year or more before it can be rebuilt and come back online. Landfill fires burn not just above ground, but they can get beneath the surface making them difficult to contain. These underground fires can burn for weeks until they are fully extinguished. 

We are just starting to see the effects of these battery technologies on the waste and recycling infrastructure. We need to stop disposing of batteries by normal waste and recycling methods. Battery manufacturers, retailers, politicians, and government agencies need to work quickly to create a safe and easily accessible infrastructure for battery disposal. Broader public policy and education efforts are needed now. Planning and action should be taken to encourage lawmakers to provide more concrete guidelines and options for more accessible methods to recycle and dispose of these materials.

We have working models in place with other waste products that we can adapt for batteries. For example, Wisconsin has a robust electronics takeback and recycling program supported financially by the manufacturers and sellers of electronics. Batteries could be added to this program, or we could mimic the electronics program with a separate infrastructure specifically for batteries. There is also an option for deposits on batteries so consumers would have financial incentives to take them to drop-off sites. There are other states using different methods that might work as well. There are answers and solutions available. Please call your State of Wisconsin representatives and tell them there is a problem and that you support legislation that will help keep our recycling centers, waste infrastructure system and the people working in these facilities safe.

In the meantime, we ask all Wisconsinites, please do NOT put rechargeable batteries in your trash or recycling containers. If you need to charge it…it has a battery. Don’t throw it out. Check with your municipality, county, or Call2recycle.org for a nearby drop-off site.

David Pellitteri, Vice President
Pellitteri Waste Systems, Inc.
Current Chair for the Wisconsin Chapter of the National Waste and Recycling Association (NWRA) and Appointee on the Governor’s Council on Recycling

About Pellitteri Waste Systems

Pellitteri Waste Systems provides state-of-the-art waste disposal and recycling collection and processing service to commercial, industrial, and residential customers throughout Southern Wisconsin. It is a third-generation, family-owned company based in Madison with a proud tradition of service and community involvement. Pellitteri services more than 67,000 households. The company sorted more than 145 million pounds of mixed recycling in 2022 at their local Material Recovery Facility. For more information, visit www.pellitteri.com.

Resource Links

• Wisconsin DNR: Prevent Recycling Fires By Safely Disposing Of Used Batteries
• Wisconsin DNR: Household Battery Recycling
• City of Madison: Household Batteries – Recycling
• NBC15.com: Madison Fire pushing to educate people on lithium-ion battery safety
• Earth 911: Lithium-ion Batteries near 53713 
• Dane County Clean Sweep drop-off site 
• The National Law Review: EPA Classifies Lithium Ion EV Batteries Hazardous Waste
• Safety Announcement from Pellitteri Waste Systems: Fire Hazards
• John’s Disposal: Example of a battery fire
• Pellitteri Waste Systems: Watch Your Recycling Get Sorted in this 7-minute video

Wisconsin Union: Madison-Based Clubs Teaming Up to Host Swing Dance Night at the Terrace, a Free Dance, Dance Instruction and Music Event on July 30

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 7, 2023

Contact Information:
Shauna Breneman, Communications Director
Email: sbreneman@wisc.edu
Phone: (608) 262-8862

READ RELEASE ONLINE: union.wisc.edu/about/news/swing-dance-night

MADISON-BASED CLUBS TEAMING UP TO HOST SWING DANCE NIGHT AT THE TERRACE, A FREE DANCE, DANCE INSTRUCTION AND MUSIC EVENT, ON JULY 30

MADISON – A new free event, called Swing Dance Night on the Terrace, will come to the Memorial Union Terrace on July 30 from 7-10 p.m. and feature swing music by All That Jazz Little Big Band and swing dance instruction hosted by the Wisconsin Union Directorate (WUD) Music Committee, the Hoofer Sailing Club and the Madison Swing Social Dance Club.

Set to take place at the 40,000-square-foot outdoor dining and entertainment destination the Memorial Union Terrace, the event will feature large group demonstrations and lessons by instructors from 7-10 p.m. and live music by All That Jazz Little Big Band from 7:30-10 p.m. No dance experience is necessary, and guests can arrive at any time throughout the event to take part.

The outdoor event has capacity for thousands of guests. Seating and participation are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

While attending, guests can also enjoy on-site dining options that support thousands of free and low-cost events held at Memorial Union and Union South as well as student leadership opportunities. On-site dining options are anticipated to include pub food at der Rathskeller; house-made BBQ fare from the BBQ Stand; pizza and pasta from Strada; desserts from the Daily Scoop; pizza and appetizers from Lakeview Lounge; and more.

In the case of inclement weather, the clubs anticipate moving the event to the music and dining area der Rathskeller in Memorial Union, which is located alongside the Memorial Union Terrace.

“Guests can enjoy this event in multiple ways, from learning swing dance skills from instructors to just listening to a great live swing music performance,” Hoofer Sailing Club Commodore Catherine Gross said. “Swing Dance Night on the Terrace brings together live music, dance and the outdoors for a fun night for people of many ages and all dance skill levels.”

The WUD Music Committee hosts free concerts throughout the year at Union South and Memorial Union. Those interested in attending future Committee-hosted events can learn more about the team’s lineup at union.wisc.edu/music. Those interested in learning about other ways to enjoy the outdoors, including sailing lessons through the Hoofer Sailing Club, can visit hoofers.org. The Hoofer Sailing Club is open to all 18 and over, including those with no UW–Madison affiliation. The Madison Swing Social Dance Club provides other events throughout the year and offers ways for members to improve their dance skills or to step into the world of dance. UW–Madison students can learn more about joining the Madison Swing Social Dance Club at madisonswing.weebly.com.

More information about Swing Dance Night on the Terrace is available at union.wisc.edu/swingdance.

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About the Hoofer Sailing Club

The Hoofer Sailing Club promotes sailing at UW–Madison by providing recreational and competitive sailing instruction and equipment. Since 1939, the Club has operated under the Wisconsin Union to provide affordable, accessible sailing programs to the campus and community. Learn more about the Club: hoofersailing.org.

About the Wisconsin Union Directorate Music Committee

For decades, the student-led Wisconsin Union Directorate Music Committee has booked, promoted and run live, usually free concerts almost every week of the year at Wisconsin Union-run locations, such as the dining and entertainment destinations der Rathskeller in Memorial Union, the Memorial Union Terrace, and the Sett at Union South. UW–Madison students can join as members or apply for leadership roles. Learn more at union.wisc.edu/music.

About the Madison Swing Social Dance Club

The UW–Madison registered student organization, the Madison Swing Social Dance Club, provides its hundreds of members with ways to socialize and learn new swing dance skills. The organization has multiple instructors to facilitate affordable social dances and workshops and strives to ensure a fun and safe environment. The club is open to UW–Madison students of all skill and experience levels. More information is available at madisonswing.weebly.com.