Wisconsin Union’s House-Made, Heat-and-Serve Thanksgiving To Go Meals Return, Available Now for Pre-Order

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 4, 2024

Contact Information:
Shauna Breneman, Wisconsin Union Public Relations and Communications Officer
Email: sbreneman@wisc.edu 
Phone: (608) 262-8862

READ RELEASE ONLINE: union.wisc.edu/about/news/thanksgiving-2024

WISCONSIN UNION’S HOUSE-MADE, HEAT-AND-SERVE THANKSGIVING TO GO MEALS RETURN, AVAILABLE NOW FOR PRE-ORDER

MADISON – The Wisconsin Union’s house-made, heat-and-serve Thanksgiving meals, called Thanksgiving To Go, have returned, with online ordering through Nov. 19 at 9 a.m. CDT or while supplies last.

Thanksgiving To Go menu options include chef-created group meals for six people, individual-sized meals, and à la carte add-ons to meal purchases.

Patrons can purchase six-person meals for $175. The group-size meals include bourbon turkey or roasted turkey, turkey gravy, herbed green beans, sage stuffing, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, cranberry relish, dinner rolls with butter, and a choice of pumpkin, pecan or fudge bottom pie.

Customers can purchase Individual-sized meals for $18. This includes the choice of a roasted turkey, baked gingersnap mustard-glazed ham or creamy butternut squash lasagna; herbed green beans; cranberry relish; and a choice of mini pumpkin, pecan or fudge bottom pie. Individual-size turkey and ham meals also come with sage stuffing and mashed potatoes. Currently enrolled University of Wisconsin–Madison students with active Wiscards are eligible to purchase an individual-sized meal for $15.

When purchasing their meals, patrons can buy additional servings of cranberry relish, turkey gravy, creamy butternut squash lasagna, fudge bottom pie, pumpkin pie or pecan pie.

All are welcome to order the Wisconsin Union’s Thanksgiving To Go, including those with no University affiliation. When ordering, customers will select a pick-up appointment for a time between 11 a.m.–5:30 p.m. at Tripp Commons in Memorial Union on Nov. 27.

The Wisconsin Union has held Thanksgiving To Go since 2004. Thanksgiving To Go purchases help support the nonprofit Wisconsin Union’s student leadership opportunities and student leader stipends.

“Ordering Wisconsin Union Thanksgiving To Go meals means more holiday enjoyment and that you’re still enjoying a meal made from scratch,” Wisconsin Union Deputy Director Susan Dibbell said. “Customers say they love skipping the busy grocery stores and meal prep and that they save hundreds of dollars when ordering a family Thanksgiving meal from us instead of making it themselves.”

Customers interested in ordering Thanksgiving To Go can visit union.wisc.edu/thanksgiving.

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About the Wisconsin Union

The non-profit Wisconsin Union strives to enhance and support student leadership and community engagement, including through recreational, cultural, educational and social opportunities and by providing world-class support services, such as event management. The Wisconsin Union includes student leadership opportunities available through the Wisconsin Union Directorate, the Center for Leadership and Involvement, the Wisconsin Singers, Fraternity and Sorority Life, and the Wisconsin Homecoming Committee; Memorial Union; Union South; various dining options throughout downtown Madison; UW Conference Centers; and the Fluno Center. Learn more about the Union and its tradition of providing experiences for a lifetime: union.wisc.edu.

Summit Credit Union Members Earn a Cash Boomerang

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 4, 2024

Media Contact:
Mary Fanning-Penny
Vice President Communications
(608) 243-5000 ext. 9662
publicrelations@summitcreditunion.com    

Summit Credit Union Members Earn a Cash Boomerang

Madison, Wisc. – Summit Credit Union, a member-owned financial cooperative, announced its member give-back called Cash Boomerang, of $2.5 million to its members. The giveback is based on the cooperative’s financial success and on members’ use of Summit’s checking, savings and borrowing services, as well as their length of membership.

Through this patronage dividend program, Summit will provide a cash payout to 77,311 members. Now in its 11th year, Cash Boomerang has paid out $24.8 million to qualified members.

“Our success is our members’ success,” said Kim Sponem, Summit Credit Union CEO and President. “The more business our members do with us, the better we do as their financial cooperative and the more our members get back in a Cash Boomerang.”

Sponem shared that the timing of the payout prior to the holiday season is intentional. “Members may opt to do something fun and festive with their Cash Boomerang or it may give them a bit of cushion to relieve some financial stress this time of year.”

Qualifying members can redeem their cash payout via online or mobile banking, and deposit it into any Summit account they choose. Cash Boomerang payouts not claimed are deposited into members’ accounts in early December.  

For more information about Cash Boomerang, visit SummitCreditUnion.com/CashBoomerang or call 608-243-5000 or 800-236-5560. 

About Summit Credit Union 

Established in 1935, Summit Credit Union is a member-owned financial cooperative. Summit holds $7.4 billion in assets and has more than 263,700 members and 921 employees across 60 locations throughout Wisconsin. Since 2002, Kim Sponem has been CEO & President of Summit Credit Union, formerly known as CUNA Credit Union/Great Wisconsin Credit Union.

In 2024, Summit was recognized for continued excellence in employee engagement as a Top Workplace USA by USA Today for the fourth consecutive year and a Top Workplace in the Madison area by the Wisconsin State Journal the fifth year in a row. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel named Summit a Top Workplace in Milwaukee in both 2023 and 2024. Additionally, and representative of its focus on financial education, Summit received the Governor’s Financial Literacy Award in 2010, 2014, and 2016 and the Governor’s Financial Literacy Award – Legacy in 2019.

For additional media information, visit summitcreditunion.com/about-summit/press-room or follow Summit on Facebook and Instagram.

New Books for Kids this Holiday Season as Madison Reading Project Launches 5th Community Book Drive

November 1, 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MORE INFORMATION:
Rowan Childs, Rowan@madisonreadingproject.com, (608) 347-7970
Emily Wills, Emily@madisonreadingproject.com, (608) 665-0055

New Books for Kids this Holiday Season as Madison Reading Project Launches 5th Community Book Drive

DANE COUNTY – For the fifth year in a row, Madison Reading Project is launching its annual Community Book Drive, promising to fill area children’s homes with new books this holiday season. 

The goal: Raise $110,000 and provide 20,000  new books before winter break to more than 12,000 children via Empty Stocking Club distributions, community partners, schools, and social workers. In addition to kicking off their fundraiser, the nonprofit is celebrating its 10th anniversary. This is the culmination of ten years of working and collaborating with hundreds of partners to bring literacy resources, engagement, and free books to children. 

Madison Reading Project staff and volunteers will place book collection bins and wish trees at public locations such as shopping malls and partner businesses.

Anyone can sign up to donate a new book online via a curated book wish list or at local bookstores. Cash donations are greatly appreciated and can be made online or by check.

“We believe it is important for children to have access to new books that reflect their unique identities as well as open their eyes to others’ lived experiences,” says Rowan Childs, co-executive director. “By supporting our Community Book Drive, you will help get thousands of new, high-quality books to kids, many of whom have few books in their homes. Children deserve that new book feeling, and books in the home are very important.”

Madison Reading Project is again partnering with schools across the county, Santas Without Chimneys, Boys & Girls Club, Reach Dane, and other community program partners to widen its reach. 

You can help by donating funds or buying books from local bookstores, such as Lake City Books, Mystery To Me, Leopold’s Books Bar Caffe, Kismet, or Books 4 School. The book lists make it easy to pick a book at any price point: www.madisonreadingproject.com/2024communitybookdrive

A business, book club, friend group, or neighborhood can organize a book drive or fundraiser to help reach the greater goal.  

“We want to shine a light on our amazing community and encourage people to not only help us collect books bought locally but also support local businesses when they visit our wish trees and bins,” says Emily Wills, development director. “To make it convenient, you can purchase from our wish list via our website or local bookstores.”

Madison Reading Project’s book drive partners with the Wisconsin State Journal’s annual Empty Stocking Club holiday toy distribution event. Open to all families regardless of their financial situation, the December giving event gives every child a new high-quality toy and a book. 

For public donation locations, link to make a cash contribution, and complete information, visit www.madisonreadingproject.com/communitybookdrive

The drive ends Dec. 6 to ensure books get to kids on time. The fundraiser is open until the end of the year. 

Madison Reading Project is a nonprofit organization that aims to connect our community with free books and literacy enrichment programs that ignite a love for reading. 

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Hilton Madison: Start Planning Your Holiday Party

The holidays are fast approaching and your colleagues will be asking you about a holiday party! Let us help you start planning for your holiday party now. We have many dates available for parties of 100 people or less, along with hotel rooms. You can create a room block to give your employees a safe way to end the evening or impress your out of town VIPs with a night on the town.

You can find our holiday menu here and more information about the spaces here.

We’re offering half off room rental when our chamber partners books with us!

Contact: Ada Hays at adahays@hiltonmadison.com or 608-260-2382

Wisconsin Union: Departure of Sunburst Terrace Chairs from Memorial Union Terrace Anticipated to Begin Oct. 28

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 14, 2024

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

READ RELEASE ONLINE: union.wisc.edu/about/news/terrace-closing-2024

DEPARTURE OF SUNBURST TERRACE CHAIRS FROM MEMORIAL UNION TERRACE ANTICIPATED TO BEGIN OCT. 28

MADISON, Wis. – The nonprofit Wisconsin Union anticipates that the 2,000 yellow, orange and green Terrace chairs and 431 tables will begin to make their exit from the Union’s outdoor dining and entertainment space, the Memorial Union Terrace, on Oct. 28. This date is subject to change based on multiple factors, such as staffing.

The Terrace chairs’ and tables’ departures mark the end of the Wisconsin Union’s outdoor film, music, and art entertainment series, known as Terrace season. The first full Terrace season occurred in 1929. Each year, the Union welcomes about 1 million patrons to the Terrace.

The Memorial Union Terrace opened for the 2024 Terrace season on April 17. Terrace season usually takes place from late spring to early fall each year. The season features free film showings, free concerts, free and low-cost art activities, seasonal dining options, and low-cost outdoor recreation experiences.

“We, at the Wisconsin Union, host experiences for a lifetime year-round, and, even though our event venues and restaurants are on a college campus, we are a community union that welcomes hundreds of thousands of community members and tourists throughout the year,” Wisconsin Union Deputy Director Susan Dibbell said.

The Wisconsin Union’s indoor dining options remain open after Terrace season ends. Indoor dining choices at Memorial Union include: the pub food destination der Rathskeller; the pasta and pizza eatery Strada; the sandwich and salad shop Carte; the desserts cafe Daily Scoop; the house-made baked goods and beverages stop Peet’s Coffee; the snacks, meals and beverages stop Badger Market; and the snacks and beverages restaurant der Stiftskeller.

In addition, for the first time since it opened in 2017, Lakeview Lounge is anticipated to remain open throughout the year. Lakeview Lounge features house-made pizza, shareables, a beer lineup with more than a dozen selections, and a Friday fish fry with hand-battered, wild-caught cod, house-made coleslaw and a side choice of waffle fries, potato salad, or cheesy hashbrowns.

Concerts, art events and activities, and free film showings continue at the Union’s indoor event venues post-Terrace season. Additional, upcoming events and activities include free art exhibitions, performing arts events, talks by thought leaders, bowling, free video and board games use, billiards, and outdoor recreation equipment rentals and activities. Visitors can find a full list of Wisconsin Union events, which grows throughout the year, at union.wisc.edu/events.

Patrons’ purchases at Wisconsin Union dining locations and at the online Terrace Store help the Wisconsin Union provide free and low-cost experiences, its spaces, and student leadership opportunities, some of which provide academic stipends of up to 80% of in-state tuition. Patrons can also support this work through donations.

Guests can visit union.wisc.edu for information about Wisconsin Union dining options, events, services, and activities.

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About the Wisconsin Union

The Wisconsin Union enhances the lives of members and visitors through recreational, cultural, educational and social opportunities. Formed in 1907, the Wisconsin Union is a membership organization that blends study and leisure to create unique out-of-classroom opportunities. Learn more about the Union and its tradition of providing experiences for a lifetime: union.wisc.edu.