Entrepreneur, Award-Winning Actor Danny Trejo to Speak on Reshaping Destiny at Wisconsin Union Directorate Event March 20 

MADISON – Entrepreneur and actor Danny Trejo will share his story of fighting addiction and changing his destiny at Shannon Hall in Memorial Union March 20 at 7 p.m. at a Wisconsin Union Directorate (WUD) Distinguished Lecture Series (DLS) Committee-hosted free lecture.

The event, titled ”Reshaping Destiny: An Evening With Danny Trejo,” will feature a 60-minute moderated Q&A followed by a 30-minute audience Q&A. The event is free, but tickets are required. Current University of Wisconsin-Madison students may register for tickets on Feb. 26 at 2 p.m. Students will require a promo code, which they will receive via email, to acquire their ticket. Any remaining tickets will become available to the general public on Feb. 27 at 2 p.m., with a limit of two tickets per person. Ticket registration for the event will be available here. 

Known for his work in films such as “Machete,” “Heat” and “Spy Kids,” Trejo’s acting career spans over 40 years. The actor has also appeared in iconic TV series such as “Baywatch,” “Breaking Bad” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” and has been a voice actor in films including “Storks” and “The Book of Life.” 

After facing addiction and imprisonment at a young age, Trejo is also recognized for his ongoing advocacy for addiction recovery and sobriety, sharing his personal story in his New York Times-bestselling 2021 autobiography “My Life of Crime, Redemption and Hollywood.” 

In addition to his work on the screen, Trejo started Trejo’s Tacos, a collection of Los Angeles-based restaurants providing inclusive food options, such as gluten-free and vegan, alongside traditional Mexican dishes. He is also the founder of Trejo’s Coffee & Donuts.

Following the opening of his first restaurant in 2016, Trejo authored cookbooks “Trejo’s Tacos: Recipes and Stories from L.A.” and “Trejo’s Cantina: Cocktails, Snacks, and Amazing Non-Alcoholic Drinks from the Heart of Hollywood.”

“Everything good that’s ever happened in my life has come as a direct result of helping someone else and not expecting anything in return,” Trejo said in his autobiography.

The WUD DLS Committee brings engaging and influential people to the UW–Madison campus to encourage thought-provoking conversations. WUD includes 12 committees and six Wisconsin Hoofers clubs that program thousands of events each year.

UW–Madison students interested in becoming a leader of the WUD DLS Committee – or any WUD committee or club – during the 2024-2025 academic year may apply online. WUD student leaders may be eligible for reimbursement of the equivalent of up to 80% of in-state tuition. Applications for WUD directors and summer coordinator positions close March 1.

Patrons can learn more about the upcoming free talk featuring Trejo here.

WPS Health Solutions shares the love in its communities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
DeAnne Boegli
Vice President of Communications
608-512-5754
deanne.boegli@wpsic.com

WPS Health Solutions shares the love in its communities
Applications for community support open Feb. 14

MADISON, Wis.—Feb. 15, 2024—WPS Health Solutions opened a new annual funding cycle on Feb. 14 for qualified tax-exempt organizations that support key drivers of social and health equity. The company is focused on giving to groups that have a strong emphasis on the mental health and well-being of people in communities across the country where WPS does business.

The WPS Community Partnerships program offers one-time grants up to $10,000. WPS strongly encourages those seeking support to review the three focus areas and submit applications online at wpshealthsolutions.com/community. Applications for 2024–2025 support may be submitted from Feb. 14 to April 14.

A rotating Community Partnerships Advisory Team made up of employee volunteers will provide equitable funding recommendations based on established evaluation criteria. Community impact dollars and support will be awarded in June.

For more information about the WPS Community Partnerships program, visit wpshealthsolutions.com/community or email partnerships@wpsic.com.

About WPS Health Solutions^®

Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation (WPS Health Solutions), founded in 1946, is a nationally regarded benefits administrator for a variety of U.S. government programs and a leading not-for-profit health insurer in Wisconsin. WPS Health Solutions serves active-duty and retired military personnel, seniors, individuals, and families in Wisconsin, across the U.S., and around the world. WPS Health Solutions, headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, has more than 2,700 employees. Within the enterprise, there are three divisions: WPS Government Business, WPS Health Insurance, and WPS Data Logistics. For more information, please visit wpshealthsolutions.com.

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RehabPath invests $1M to improve, simplify access to mental health treatment worldwide

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Date: Feb. 12, 2024 

Contact: Jake Miller, jake@sundaypaper.com, 608-957-4797 

Madison health-tech startup invests $1M to improve, simplify access to mental health treatment  worldwide
RehabPath’s purchase of Recovery.com will play a pivotal role in helping people find the care they need

MADISON – RehabPath, one of Madison’s fastest-growing startups, has taken a massive step forward in their pursuit to connect people with quality mental health and addiction treatment. 

The health-tech firm, founded in 2017, recently purchased Recovery.com and moved their product there for a total investment north of $1 million, as they pursue their mission to break down barriers that make it challenging for families and individuals to find trusted treatment options online. 

“We’ve spent years building and refining an online resource–nearly every person seeking mental health treatment begins their search online–that is easily findable and empowers patients, family members, and referring professionals to make informed decisions that ultimately lead to more people receiving care,” said Ben Camp, CEO, RehabPath. “Recovery.com is an inclusive, memorable and optimistic name that lends instant credibility and trust to these efforts. When we were presented with the opportunity to purchase this domain name, I knew it would be a multiplier on the work our team is doing and the investments we’ve already made.”

A continuum of care 

While rehab or inpatient care is sometimes necessary for people struggling with mental health and substance use disorders, it’s only one aspect of treatment in the life-long journey of recovery.  

Because RehabPath – and now Recovery.com – helps people find an array of treatment options, it’s imperative they easily communicate the breadth and depth of services to anyone searching for care. That’s where Recovery.com comes into play. 

“When people hear the word ‘rehab’ they tend to think of a residential stay for addiction treatment. But for a long time now we’ve helped people looking for all types of mental health treatment at various levels along the continuum of care, and our company’s mission involves helping people through every step of their recovery journey. So it had become clear we had outgrown the name RehabPath.”

Today, more than 3,400 centers from 50 countries offer more than 10,000 different programs on Recovery.com to help people with an array of mental health disorders, including depression, substance use disorders, eating disorders, trauma, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, and countless others.  

Growth in a time of need 

Each month, more than 100,000 people use Recovery.com to connect directly with treatment providers who fit their needs, and those numbers show no sign of slowing down. 

RehabPath has been able to help so many people, largely due to their commitment to doing things the right way. Along with being entirely independent from any treatment center and adhering to the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers’ code of marketing ethics, at its core, RehabPath puts the patient first. 

This has allowed RehabPath to build a business model that creates value for both patients and treatment centers. While giving patients a comprehensive resource and listing all treatment options for free, RehabPath provides an advertising product for treatment centers to get additional reach on Recovery.com, and do it at a cost that is often much better than other advertising channels. This leads to centers needing to spend less money with Google and other channels and more on high-quality care. 

“Sometimes it’s hard to wrap my mind around the impact our platform is having on lives around the world. Recently, one of our advertising treatment centers let us know that they tracked over 92 admissions into their program in 2023 from our website,” Camp said. “That’s 92 lives and 92 families impacted by finding us online.” 

Each of those admissions represents a person who came to Recovery.com in a state where they needed help and didn’t know where to turn. Each of those people were able to navigate Recovery.com, compare dozens or even hundreds of options depending on their search criteria, and find the right option for themselves or their loved ones.

“As you can imagine, this is very motivating to our team, and drives our urgency to make our platform better and reach more people each day,” Camp said. 

About RehabPath & Recovery.com 

Founded in 2017, RehabPath helps people discover a path to recovery that’s right for them. RehabPath aims to provide unbiased, educational and helpful information about treatment for addiction and mental health. Annually, RehabPath estimates it connects more than 200,000 people from Madison to Mumbai with treatment centers tailored to their specific needs.

Wisconsin Union: Winter Event Series Winter Carnival Continues During Warmer Conditions With More Than a Dozen Events Feb. 7-10

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 6, 2024

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

Read release online: union.wisc.edu/about/news/wintercarnival2024continues 

WINTER EVENT SERIES WINTER CARNIVAL CONTINUES DURING WARMER CONDITIONS WITH MORE THAN A DOZEN EVENTS FEB. 7-10

MADISON – The Wisconsin Union’s winter-themed event series, called Winter Carnival, will continue Feb. 7-10 during warmer-than-usual weather conditions with an updated events schedule that includes more than a dozen events, including an appearance of part of an inflatable version of Lady Liberty at Library Mall, rather than on Lake Mendota.

The Winter Carnival lineup currently includes:

• Feb. 7
  • $1 cheese curds
  • Open Mic Night
• Feb. 9
  • Inflatable replica of the Statue of Liberty’s head on Library Mall
  • Mario and Sonic at the Winter Olympic Games tournament, presented by University Recreation & Wellbeing
  • Winter Beats: a rhythm game challenge
  • Luminary-making
  • Snow Ball: live music, dancing and swing dancing instruction
• Feb. 10
  • Inflatable replica of the Statue of Liberty’s head on Library Mall
  • Free maple taffy-making
  • Scavenger hunt, called Secret Agent
  • Valentine’s Day and kindness greeting card-making as well as hot chocolate
  • Family Fun in Alumni Park, presented by the Wisconsin Alumni Association
  • Newly added on Feb. 6: Yard Games at the Memorial Union Terrace, presented in collaboration with University Recreation & Wellbeing
  • Sock snowperson-making
  • Mini horses photo opportunities and meet-and-greet
  • Limited-time, house-made mac and cheese available for purchase

Events are free unless otherwise noted at union.wisc.edu/wintercarnival. The event lineup is subject to change, including due to weather conditions.

The Wisconsin Union team has observed a thinning of ice and several weak and open spots, with ice being about 6 inches thick near the Lake Mendota shoreline alongside Memorial Union. The team continually monitors Lake Mendota’s ice throughout the winter season, including to evaluate its nearby ice skating and other wintertime activities. The Wisconsin Union team has canceled, re-imagined or moved some wintertime events in light of thinning ice, a low amount of snow, and predicted upcoming warmer-than-usual temperatures.

“We will still offer more than a dozen Winter Carnival events for guests to enjoy,” Outdoor UW Director Dave Elsmo said. “Our team of staff and student leaders gathered to ensure the continuation of Winter Carnival. We look forward to welcoming people to a Winter Carnival under early spring-like conditions.”

The Wisconsin Union team brings out a to-scale, inflatable replica of the Statue of Liberty’s head, arm and torch to frozen Lake Mendota each year during Winter Carnival. This year’s appearance will occur on land at Library Mall and will include the Statue’s head. More information about the Statue’s history of Madison appearances can be found here.

Winter Carnival has historically included both weather-dependent events and experiences that do not require any specific weather conditions. With weather having required lineup changes this year and in years past, the Wisconsin Union team encourages patrons to visit union.wisc.edu/wintercarnival for the most up-to-date Carnival lineup each year.

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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.  

Wellness Advocate, Author Jessamyn Stanley to Speak on Yoga, Empowerment at Wisconsin Union Directorate Event Feb. 28

MADISON – Entrepreneur and yoga instructor Jessamyn Stanley will share her thoughts on inclusive wellness approaches and intersectionality at Tripp Commons in Memorial Union Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. as part of the Wisconsin Union Directorate (WUD) Distinguished Lecture Series (DLS) Committee’s free lecture lineup.

The event, titled “Yoga, Diversity, and Empowerment: A Journey with Jessamyn Stanley,” will feature a 60-minute lecture followed by a 30-minute audience Q&A. No tickets are necessary – admission is free and open to the public, with live captioning and American Sign Language interpreters provided. 

Co-founder of The Underbelly, a virtual yoga studio focused on creating authenticity and approachability within the yoga community, Stanley believes in transforming wellness from a universal idealized look to an approach that adapts to the unique needs of each person and body.

Her books, “Every Body Yoga: Let Go of Fear, Get On the Mat, Love Your Body.” and “Yoke: My Yoga of Self-Acceptance,” have reached global audiences and provide perspectives on a body-positive and inclusive approach to yoga, wellness and loving oneself.

“Yoga peels back the edges of your mask, pushing you to the edge of who you’re pretending to be, introducing you to the luminance that lies beneath,” Stanley said in a 2021 interview with CNN. “You can find the answers to life’s biggest questions within that light inside you.” 

In addition to her video and outreach content, Stanley was also the host of relationship podcast “Dear Jessamyn” and was on Essence’s Future 15 List in 2020.

This event is supported in part by the Ed Garvey Lecture Fund.

The WUD DLS Committee brings engaging and influential people to the UW–Madison campus to encourage thought-provoking conversations. WUD includes 12 committees and six Wisconsin Hoofers clubs that program thousands of events each year.

University of Wisconsin–Madison students interested in becoming a leader of WUD DLS – or any WUD committee or club – during the 2024-2025 academic year may apply online. WUD student leaders may be eligible for reimbursement of the equivalent of up to 80% of in-state tuition. Applications for WUD officer positions close Feb. 9 and applications for WUD directors and summer coordinator positions close March 1.

Patrons can learn more about the upcoming free talk featuring Jessamyn Stanley here.