Today the Milwaukee Barbarians are excited to announce that we are officially fundraising for the development of a dedicated rugby facility in the Milwaukee area!
To mark the occasion, our generous sponsors have committed $25,000 in matching funds. So every dollar donated can now go twice as far. Thank-you to Spectrum Wealth Advisors, Four Leaf Roofing & Windows, and Harlequin Enterprises for making the start of our campaign so exciting and impactful.
The commitment to developing a permanent home for rugby in the area marks an important milestone in our club’s 50-year history. It is not a decision we take lightly, nor quickly, as you will discover below.
As of this writing, we have already raised $150,000. We now invite you to join us in this grand endeavor by becoming a “Founder” and making a permanent mark — literally — on rugby in Milwaukee. Everyone who donates $1000 or more will have their name noted permanently on the “Founders Wall” of the facility.
To pay by check, please complete this pledge card and mail it in.
How we got here
The first example of investing by the club dates back to the 2003 purchase of a sports bar — the Sin Bin — to be used as a club house and gathering place. While this real estate venture did not include land for a field, it was the start of a long-term vision for the club.
Managed by a separate entity called Harlequin Enterprises, the Sin Bin was sold in 2021 and the profits are included in the matching funds noted above.
The other long-term investment for the club is our local tournament, the Lakefront 7s. Starting with just a few teams in 1983, it has grown into the largest summer-rugby event in the country powered by scores of volunteers.
In recent years, a concerted effort was made to save proceeds from the Lakefront 7s with the hope of making a real estate purchase in the future. A tax-exempt, non-profit entity — the Society for Cultivating Rugby Union Mastery or SCRUM — was established in 2017 to help manage and invest these proceeds.
SCRUM is also the organization that manages our Sustaining Membership program. This program also began in 2017, and as of this writing has nearly 70 active members. Fifty percent (50%) of all donations from Sustaining Members are ear-marked for facility development.
Under the auspices of SCRUM, all existing funds (approximately $150,000) have been invested for the sole-use of developing a dedicated rugby facility in Milwaukee. SCRUM will be the primary entity for all current and future fundraising.
To pay by check, please complete this pledge card and mail it in.
Purpose of the facility
A multi-generational committee (see below) of current club members — with a combined 169-years of club membership — has been established to produce a phased plan for facility development. The includes the initial acquisition of the land, and phase 1 of actual facility development.
One of the first tasks completed by the committee was forming a clear mission statement. Here is the completed version that will be used to guide the decision making process going forward:
To create a thriving and sustainable family-oriented rugby community centered around a dedicated facility where people of all ages can find their place as a player, coach, alumnus, volunteer and supporter.
Current Status
The committee is currently in “fact finding” mode. This involves discussions with existing sports organizations with experience in developing dedicated facilities, as well as discussions with real estate experts.
Fundraising Goal
As of this writing, over $150,000 has already been raised and invested for the facility.
The goal of the current campaign is $25,000 with at least 5 founders donating $1000 or more. Reaching this goal will maximize the generosity of our matching gift sponsors.
If this campaign is successful, we anticipate the 2025 year-end balance of our facility fund to be approximately $250,000 when proceeds from all club activities are combined.
Once the committee has found a suitable location for the facility and produced a plan for phase 1 of development, we plan to launch a separate fundraising campaign in line with the required funds.
Time Frame
No time frame is currently available. Once a location and costs have been identified, a phased development plan will be prepared and submitted to all club members for a vote of approval before proceeding.
To pay by check, please complete this pledge card and mail it in.
Questions?
If you have questions about the facility, or are interested to make a special gift, please contact Vic Drover via email at [email protected].
Facility committee members
Here are the members of the facility committee:
- Jared Abt
- 2010 Barbarian rookie year.
- 15-year member of the club.
- Current board member.
- Current club coach.
- Former team captain.
- 2-year Sustaining Member.
- Ty Ash
- 2016 Barbarian rookie year.
- 9-year member of the club.
- Current board member (President).
- Current SCRUM board member.
- Current co-organizer of the Lakefront 7s.
- Joe Cunningham
- 1995 Barbarian rookie year.
- 30-year member of the club.
- Former board member (VP/General Manager)
- Former club coach.
- Current co-organizer of the Lakefront 7s.
- Former Harlequin Enterprises board member.
- Current SCRUM board member.
- 8-year Sustaining Member.
- Victor Drover
- 2007 Barbarian rookie year.
- 18-year member of the club.
- Former board member (President, Treasurer).
- Current co-organizer of the Lakefront 7s.
- Current SCRUM board member.
- 8-year Sustaining Member.
- Tom Fossell
- 2013 Barbarian rookie year.
- 12-year member of the club.
- Current co-organizer of the Lakefront 7s.
- Current team captain.
- Joe Schuster
- 1977 Barbarian rookie year.
- 48-year member of the club.
- Current co-organizer of the Lakefront 7s.
- 8-year Sustaining Member.
- Pat Sharpe
- 1988 Barbarian rookie year.
- 37-year member of the club.
- Current board member (General Manager).
- Current co-organizer of the Lakefront 7s.
- Current coach.
To pay by check, please complete this pledge card and mail it in.
