Colony Brands Foundation Donates $40K to BTC

Colony Brands Foundation of Monroe, Wisconsin presented Blackhawk Technical College officials with a $40,000 donation to the Fund for the Future of Agriculture. The fund created by Jim and Therese Gratz and Fran and Sandy Donny aims to provide scholarship and program funding for BTC agriculture programs. The goal of the initiative is to attract and retain young people to agricultural professions.

(Pictured left to right: Dr. Tracy Pierner, President of BTC, Dustin Williams, BTC Agriculture Instructor, John Baumann, President of Colony Brands Foundation, and Lisa Hurda, Director of BTC Foundation)

“At Colony Brands Foundation, we want to do everything we can to create really transformative, positive initiatives on a local basis,” explained John Baumann, Colony Brands Foundation President. “The Fund for the Future of Agriculture is very forward-thinking and creates a lot of opportunities for local farmers and agriculture as a whole in this area.”

Headquartered in Monroe, Colony Brands believes in generously supporting their local communities; it is a part of their core values. Each year, Colony Brands, Inc. partners with over 350 different organizations to help build our communities through monetary donations and growth challenges. They proudly support worthy causes – from the arts to education, youth activities, and community needs.

“This life-changing gift to the BTC Foundation will go directly to help students pursue an agricultural degree at Blackhawk. The generosity of Colony Brands will impact students for years to come,” said BTC Foundation Director Lisa Hurda.

The Fund for the Future of Agriculture was founded to help make agriculture education possible for students in our region. Further, the fund will help train and retain professionals for the agriculture industry in south-central Wisconsin.

“This generous donation is just one example of Colony Brands commitment to our community,” said Dr. Tracy Pierner, President of Blackhawk Technical College. “They clearly understand the importance of a technical college education, and how our graduates fill essential positions in the workforce and contribute to the economic growth of our region.”

For more information about scholarship opportunities or to make a financial gift to the Fund for the Future of Agriculture at Blackhawk Technical College, contact the Blackhawk Foundation at (608) 757-7704 or lhurda@blackhawk.edu.

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