Madison Brat Fest

UPDATE, May 29, 2011: Brat Fest 2011
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This is sad.

Some Wisconsinites refuse to put aside their political differences for charity and partake in Madison's Brat Fest.

What self-centered thugs!

SHAME, SHAME, SHAME!

We’re not scientists, but we’re fairly confident that the World’s Largest Brat Fest can be expressed by the following equation:

Brats + Music + Charity + Wisconsin = AWESOME!
Brat Fest is 4 days filled with music, food and fun in the heart of downtown Madison, Wisconsin. If you need more convincing, we’ll break it down a little more precisely…

Come Memorial Day weekend in Madison, Wisconsin, things get a little fiery– on the grill, that is. The World’s Largest Brat Fest sizzles as we cele“brat”e the start of summer with juicy Johnsonville brats, Oscar Mayer Hotdogs and Veggie Brats smothered in Heinz ketchup, mustard and sweet relish, Frank’s Kraut and onions. Wash em’ down with an ice-cold Pepsi, Capital Island Wheat, Budlight or milk and finish it all off with a side of ice cream, funnel cakes and fun.

So what is Brat Fest all about? Obviously, Brat Fest is about eating brats, but, more importantly, it’s about giving back to the community. The World’s Largest Brat Fest is held every Memorial Day weekend – rain or shine – with proceeds benefitting the local charities that help to staff the event. Brat Fest is also about enjoying good food at great prices while celebrating Wisconsin’s heritage and the people who make Madison a great place to live.

That’s why we have a license to grill! Stop by and let us cook for you!

This is a charitable event. It's a benefit.

Volunteers and their supporting organizations are the most integral part of the World’s Largest Brat Fest! They grill… they cashier… they count attendees… they drive shuttles… they stock condiments… they make sure the event grounds are clean – you get it – they pretty much do it all!

Each year, Brat Fest depends on nearly 4,000 volunteers of all ages* with over 10,300 volunteer hours to play a special part in our continued success and our quest for the WORLD RECORD all in the spirit of community giving! Without them, Brat Fest would not be the same.

Here is the list of charities participating in the 2011 event:

2011 Returning Charities

Abundant Life Christian High School
Badger Aquatics
Badger Bots
Baldwin Christian School
Beta Zeta
Bethel Horizons
Boy Scout Troop 102
Boy Scout Troop 140
Boy Scout Troop 122
Boy Scout Troop 201
Boy Scout Troop 420
Boy Scout Troop 940
Boy Scout Troop/Pack 90
Boys & Girls Club of Dane County
Bristol Blazer 4h
Calvary Gospel Campus
Calvary Gospel Church
Capital City Lodge #7 Fraternal Order
Cheer Wisconsin
Chrysalis, Inc.
Cornucopia, Inc.
Cross Roads Church
Dane County Parent Council
Faith Lutheran Church – Youth Group
Family Resource Network
Family Support
FLAME
Friends of Kettle Ponds
Give the Kids the World
Hope World Wide
Hospice Care, Inc.
Immaculate Heart of Mary
Information Technology Academy
Lake Edge Lutheran Church
League of Women Voters
Luther Memorial
Madison Area Retired Educators Association
Madison Diocesan Choir
Madison East Wrestling
Madison Master’s
Madison West HS Forensics Team
Madison West Softball Booster Club
Madison Youth Choir
Memorial Baptist Church
Middleton Gator Swim
Nepali American Friendship Association
North/Eastside Senior Coalition
North/Eastside Sherman Basketball
Occupaws Guide Dog Association
Oregon Band Boosters
Our Savior Death Lutheran Church
Parkside Presbyterian
Playtime Productions
RSVP of Dane County
Salem United Church of Christ Youth Group
Scouts with Special Needs
Sons of Norway
South Madison Coalition of the Elderly
Spina Bifida Family Network
St. Mark’s Lutheran Church
Team Survivor – Madison
The Loyal Order of the Caribbean SOul
Triangle Community Ministry, Inc.
Verona Area High School Swim
Virginia School of Dance
Walbridge School
Madison West HS Cross Country
West Madison Senior Center
West Madison Special Olympics
West Madison Youth Special Olympics
Wisconsin Children’s Choir
Wisconsin Women’s Health Foundation
Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra
Yahara River Chorus
Yonim Israeli Dance Troupe

2011 New Organizations

Autism Society of Greater Madison
Boy Scout Troop 301
Capital City Sanctuary COGIC
Capitol Lakes
City Church Youth Ministry
Crossroads UMC
Dane County Humane Society
Divine Savior Youth Group
Gilda’s Club
Good Life, Inc.
Huntington Disease Society of America
Knight of Columbus #1478
LIVESTRONG Madison
Logan’s Heart & Smile
Madison East High School Dance Team
Madison West Lions Club
Oregon High School Class of 2012
Oregon Youth Hockey
Pancreatic Cancer Action Network – Team Grape Ape
Recovery Foundation
Wikoda Camp
Zion City

Unfortunately, some people in Madison are so crazed and so selfish that they're disrupting this very successful annual event.

If the organizations suffer, too bad.

The problem: Johnsonville is a sponsor.

Union thugs and their minions are boycotting Johnsonville.

These people are willing to disrupt Brat Fest by politicizing it.

Rather than take part in the spirit of community giving, they're being angry and divisive and putting themselves and their political agenda ahead of the charities.

What a disgrace!

Yes, the unions and their supporters are planning to hold an alternative Brat Fest.

Organizers are aiming to create an alternative to Madison's longtime Brat Fest.

Organizers acknowledged that the Alternative Brat Fest comes at a politically heated time where many people are at odds with the sponsors of the World's Largest Brat Fest.

The Madison Park Commission unanimously approved the Alternative Brat Fest during a Wednesday night meeting.

Orton Park on Madison's East Side could soon be the location of the Alternative Brat Fest.

...Joey Dunscombe, of Weary Traveler, and other local businesses are hoping to serve up the Alternative Brat Fest.

"We're shooting for the world's smallest brat fest," Dunscombe said. "It's just a showcase of local foods. Anything we bring in will be donated to charities."

The event would take place on May 29, the same weekend as the World's Largest Brat Fest, which is produced by Metcalfe's Market. The charity fundraiser is being criticized, even boycotted, due to sponsor Johnsonville Brats' campaign contributions to Republican Gov. Scott Walker.

JOHNSONVILLE DIDN'T MAKE ANY CONTRIBUTIONS TO GOVERNOR SCOTT WALKER.

ZERO. NOTHING. This article makes it sound as if the business made sizable donations.

PRIVATE citizens, employees of Johnsonville, made contributions - not JOHNSONVILLE.

..."We understand some people may have some concerns and we respect that," said Tim Metcalfe, of Metcalfe's grocery store, which sponsors Brat Fest. "We have an agreement with Johnsonville. They've been a great supporter of the event. They've donated 150,000 brats. We're hoping to again raise a lot of money for a lot of good people. I wish their event well."

With final approval still pending, organizers stress Alternative Brat Fest is not about politics.

"No, it's definitely not a protest," Dunscombe said. "There's not going to be chanting and signage and stuff like that. If people want to make it political, that's up to them. It's just about eating good food."

OF COURSE IT'S A PROTEST. IT'S A BOYCOTT OF THE EVENT.

To identify Walker contributors, [Sam] Hokin's [Facebook] page links to a campaign finance database maintained by the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. It also helps followers send letters of protest to companies, provides a place for updates and shares ideas for more activities — such as organized pickets outside companies associated with Walker and a planned boycott of this year's Brat Fest because it uses some Johnsonville products.

Not political?

That's absurd.

...Johnsonville Brats announced Wednesday evening that not only are they donating the 150,000 brats agreed upon for the event, the Sheboygan Falls company is donating all of the brats for Brat Fest. That's at least 200,000 brats.

Johnsonville Sausage LLC released a statement Wednesday night: "Johnsonville Sausage has had a positive and successful partnership with Brat Fest for several years. Each year, our focus is on benefitting the charitable organizations that this community event supports. We feel that donating all the brats for this year's festival is a meaningful way we can continue to partner with this great event and benefit deserving organizations in the Madison area."

I hope the alternative Brat Fest is small enough that it doesn't have a significant effect on attendance at the "World's Largest Brat Fest" and have a negative impact on the charities involved.

It's sad that the charities may suffer because of this idiotic boycott.

Give it a rest for Memorial Day weekend. If some people want to boycott, why not purchase soda or some other products available at the fest?

Just give it a rest and do the right thing for a few days.

Apparently, that's too much to ask.
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A related matter--

TMJ4 covered this story on its Thursday 10:00 PM newscast.

Anchor Mike Jacobs made a correction from its 6:00 PM newscast. He said they had incorrectly reported that Johnsonville had made campaign contributions to Scott Walker. Jacobs said that Johnsonville employees made donations, but not the Johnsonville company.

I couldn't believe that after so many weeks of stories about union boycotts of M&I and Sendik's and other businesses, even though the businesses did NOT make contributions to Walker, that TMJ4 would make such a major mistake.

How could they be so stupid?

SHAME, SHAME, SHAME!

Jacobs said, "We regret that error."

I'm glad they were called on their terribly cheap shot and were forced to make the embarrassing correction.