University
of Wisconsin-Whitewater
News and Public Affairs
August 2000
 Green Bay Packers
quarterback Brett Favre donated $10,000 to the
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Wheelchair
Athletics program at a ceremony held in Green Bay
on Wednesday, Aug. 2. Favre and his wife, Deanna,
presented the check to Gary Harms, director of
Recreation Sports and Facilities, and Warhawk
wheelchair basketball player Jeremy Lade of
Oconto. Lade is a sophomore majoring in physical
education.UW-Whitewater
Wheelchair Athletics was one of five groups to
receive
donations. The donations which totaled $70,000 - money raised at the first annual Brett Favre Celebrity
Softball game held this past June 11 at Fox
Cities Stadium. More than 6,200 fans attended the
inaugural event and saw the Packers' defense
defeat the offense, 15-11.
"I cannot
express enough gratitude to the fans that
attended the game in June," Favre said. 'The
other players and I had a great time at the game
and hope to have a rematch next summer. Through
the fans' support, the Forward Foundation is able
to make these contributions to these wonderful
organizations. The Foundation has had great
support from the community over the past five
years and we look forward to being able to
continue supporting these worthwhile
causes."
Tracy Chynoweth,
coach of the Warhawk Wheelchair Basketball team
and head of Wheelchair Athletics for
UW-Whitewater submitted the request for funding.
He said, "Much of the success of
UW-Whitewater Wheelchair Athletics was built over
the past ten years with the significant
contributions of many organizations such as the
Brett Favre Forward Foundation.We look forward to
providing additional programming to more youth
from the greater Wisconsin area."
Wheelchair
athletics at UW-Whitewater has touched the lives
of many disabled youth for the past 30 years.
Programs offered to UW-Whitewater students, both
disabled and able-bodied individuals, include
wheelchair basketball, wheelchair football,
wheelchair floor hockey, wheelchair tennis, as
well as innertube water polo and track.
UW-Whitewater also hosts a number of camps for
disabled youth in wheelchair basketball, as well
as one that incorporates a number of wheelchair
sports.
Chynoweth added,
"UW-Whitewater has also produced one of the
world's most talented wheelchair basketball
teams. The Warhawks compete in the National
Wheelchair Basketball Association, and finished
the 1999 campaign as National Champions of the
collegiate division. Six members of the Warhawks
will be representing their respective countries
at the Paralympics in Sydney, Australia in
October 2000."
Programs offered
for disabled youth have served approximately 150
over the past year, while almost 100
UW-Whitewater students have benefited from
programs offered through wheelchair recreation,
Chynoweth said.
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