Varsity is the free Official Digital Magazine of Wisconsin Athletics, covering Badgers football, basketball, hockey and more each week.
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Good work going on behind the scenes THE VOICE MATT LEPAY • VOICE OF THE BADGERS I f college football had an offsea- son, it ended earlier this week with the opening of training camps across the country. Then again, it seems as though news from the college game never went away. There is conference re- alignment. In two years, there will be a change in the postseason. Unfortunately, there has been more unpleasant off-the-field news. Certainly, both college and pro football have taken some pub- lic relations hits. Do not be fooled into thinking that all is wrong with sports. This is in no way an attempt to ignore the problems that exist. There are issues, and there is work to be done. However, as a strength and conditioning coach might say, "It's been a great summer. The guys have worked hard and made themselves better." Only in this case I am not talk- ing about the weight room or the running of hills. The University of Wisconsin takes great pride in hav- ing student-athletes who help in the community. Every year players put in hundreds of hours to help those in need. They seek no public- ity. They enjoy the interaction, and no doubt such community service efforts can touch the hearts of ev- eryone involved. What is extra special about UW student- athletes is that the belief in helping others continues long after their playing days conclude. Every summer I have the opportu- nity to witness several such events. In the last month, a couple of eve- 14 » VARSITY AUGUST 9, 2012 nings stand out. For more than a quarter cen- tury, the Madison Chapter of the NFL Alumni has raised money for several area groups, including the Boy Scouts and American Family Children's Hospital. The banquet program includes hearing from some of the young boys and girls who benefit from the generous donations. Former Badger foot- ball players Bob Landsee and Joe Armentrout are among those who spend a ton of time putting the whole thing together. Former players from many eras carve out time in their schedules to take part, including Pat Richter, Dale Hackbart, Stu Voigt, Matt VandenBoom, Bud Keyes and Tarek Saleh, just to name a few. Through the years, the NFL Alum- ni Madison Chapter has generated well into the seven figures to help local charities. Earlier in July there was another event that blew me away. A group of former UW student-athletes that includes ex-football players Matt Joki and Matt Unertl, as well as Scott Wick, a track athlete from more than a decade ago, started a group called The Buckingham Club of Chicago. With the help of Wade Fetzer (Wade and his wife Beverly made possible the Fetzer Academic Center at Camp Randall and the Kohl Center), the club's goal is to reach out to fellow UW alums in the Chicago area. For the Buckingham Club's first shindig, the group secured the Terrace at Trump Tower, which of- fered a spectacular view of the city on a beautiful summer evening. At the suggestion of Mr. Fetzer, the Buckingham Club exists to help UW Athletics, as well as another university-related entity. On this particular night, Wisconsin alums generated more than $200,000 for the Wisconsin Alzheimer's Insti- tute, which is dedicated to people and families affected by the dis- ease. Among the speakers was Lou Holland Jr., a football letterwinner and proud son of Lou Holland Sr., the football star and UW Athletic Hall of Famer. Lou Sr. continues his own battle with Alzheimer's. Multiple sports stars of yester- year turned out, including Blake Geoffrion and Michael Finley. So many other familiar names and faces for Badgers fans, includ- ing John Josten and Tim Stracka from football, Jeff Petersen, Andy Kilbride and Billy Douglass from basketball. There were many oth- ers. It was an amazing night, and hopefully it is the start of some- thing big in Chicago and beyond. Yes, there are problems in college athletics. It is healthy to discuss them and work to find solutions. But there is much to like about the games people play. What remains special about the Univer- sity of Wisconsin is so many alums keep giving long after the cheering stops. It has been a pretty good sum- mer. I saw a lot of hard work in the offseason. It is exactly the kind of work that makes many people better.