Writer gives back to Boys & Girls Club of Fort Atkinson

Posted: Jan. 19, 2012

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The Boys & Girls Clubs of Fort Atkinson is hosting a benefit from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Jan. 23 in the auditorium at Fort Atkinson High School. The event will feature a panel of national, state and local sports media, and is intended as a fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Club of Fort Atkinson.

The panel will include Fort Atkinson High School graduate and Sports Illustrated columnist Luke Winn; Tom Oates of the Wisconsin State Journal sports, formerly a Daily Jefferson County Union sports editor; and Shane Sparks of WFAW. An opportunity will be available for audience members to submit questions for discussions and comments.

Beginning at 6:30 p.m., attendees will hear briefly of Winn's journey from Fort Atkinson to Northwestern University, his internship opportunities at Wisconsin State Journal, CNN/Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune during college before securing employment with SI.com. Winn will also share stories about various sporting events he has covered, including seven NCAA March Madness college basketball tournaments and the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

An intermission will follow where attendees will be able to partake in a dessert bar, bid on silent auction items and submit questions for the sports talk panel discussion to follow.

Silent auction items include: an autographed Ron Dayne (Wisconsin Badgers) print; autographed Ron Dayne football; autographed football from Jermichael Finley of the Green Bay Packers; various Sports Illustrated cover prints; a Dec. 11, 2009, and a Sports Illustrated cover of the Wisconsin Badgers (John Clay).

Tickets are $20 for adults in advance, $25 at the door, $10 for students and Boys and Girls Club (BGC) Fort members. A family bundle of tickets is $50. Tickets are available at BGC Fort sites (Purdy, Luther and Rockwell elementary schools), from BGC Fort Advisory Council members (John Anderson, Rick Brietzke, Chip Day, Keith Firari, Dave Geiger, Mike Phelps, Helen Rose, Steve Schafer or Vicki Wright) or by calling Bob Chady, BGC Fort director, at (920) 728.4497.

Luke Winn

Winn has achieved seven Best Writing awards from the U.S. Basketball Writers Association in the past three years. In addition, his blog about the Vancouver Olympics won a Henry Luce Award for best blog at Time Inc.

Winn grew up in Fort Atkinson, graduating in the class of 1998. He went on to study journalism at Northwestern University, where his writing skills contributed to NU's online magazine, which achieved recognition as the best online publication in the country in 2002.

In college he held internships with notable news sources, but it was his time at CNN/Sports illustrated that left a lasting impression. Winn moved to New York after graduating and began writing for SI.com and Sports Illustrated magazine. He held various positions within SI, moving up to his most recent function of senior writer. His primary focus is college basketball, but he covers a broad range of topics. He is looking forward covering the London Olympics this summer.

Tom Oates

Tom Oates is devoted to Wisconsin sports. He frequently travels to report on everything from University of Wisconsin athletics, to the Packers and Brewers. He has been a staff member of the Wisconsin State Journal sports department for 30 years, and brings his perspective to Madison area readers.

BGC of Fort Atkinson

Boys & Girls Club of Fort Atkinson provides after-school programming to more than 200 children. The club is operational on school days from 3 to 6 p.m. and from 11:50 a.m. to 6 p.m. on early-release days.

Those wanting to support Boys & Girls Club of Fort Atkinson can contribute via mail to Boys & Girls Club of Fort Atkinson, c/o Luther Elementary School, 205 Park St., Fort Atkinson, WI 53538. Online donations are accepted via the Fort Atkinson Community Foundation website at tinyurl.com/7dnzg52. More information about Boys & Girls Club of Fort Atkinson can be found at www.fortschools.org/Web pages/bgclub.