The American Family Insurance Championship Benefits Us All
By Judd Schemmel, American Family Insurance Community Investment Associate Vice President
A thousand moving parts all going at 100 miles per hour.
That’s how I often describe the run-up to the American Family Insurance Championship, Wisconsin’s only annual PGA event. It’s a remarkable team, led by Nate Pokrass, that pulls this event together each year. They’re simply terrific. And those thousand moving parts, they’re all considered and planned for, every last one.
Despite the complexity and complications inherent in an event of this scale, what’s always been clear and consistent is that this tournament serves our community, and it does so exceptionally well. As we head into year four, it’s amazing to think that the AmFam Championship has provided more than $4.7 million to 185 non-profit organizations from all across south-central Wisconsin.
Half of these proceeds support the care provided at the American Family Insurance Children’s Hospital, a world-class facility serving patients and families at one of the most vulnerable and stressful times of their lives.
The other 184 recipient organizations are combating food insecurity, providing cancer respite services, encouraging early childhood reading, serving those with mental health challenges, and much, much more.
When I think about effective community investment, I think about programs that are having a strong, positive impact on the quality of life for individuals and families. We can all be proud that the organizations supported by the AmFam Championship are doing just that.
Beyond the clear philanthropic aspects, AmFam Champ’s broader impact on the greater Madison, Wisconsin community is for me, profound. It’s a bit staggering to think that the tournament has generated an estimated $41 million in positive economic impact for the greater Madison area. That benefits us all.
It means so much that more than 100 businesses support the tournament through sponsorships, and the vast majority of these business are local. That benefits us all.
And when you’re talking about passionate fans, more than 1,000 volunteers annually, and a community-wide embrace of an event from its very beginning. That kind of pride definitely benefits us all.
Thanks to everyone who has helped, in their own way, to make the American Family Insurance Championship the tremendous event it has become. Because of you, our community is a better, stronger, and more resilient place for individuals and families to call home.
