Since 1964, a group of Middleton non-profit organizations have worked together to put on the Good Neighbor Festival. While the members of the trustee group has changed over the years, one thing remains the same: the Good Neighbor Festival trustees are committed to presenting an amazing community event, and raising funds to support charitable causes throughout the area.
The Good Neighbor Festival trustee organizations include:
Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world, one child and one community at a time. Middleton Kiwanis is a diverse, informal group of Middleton area men and women working to improve the lives of children and families in the community. Recent projects include sponsoring and mentoring Key Club students at Middleton High School as they learn leadership skills through service projects, sponsoring a Canstruction team to benefit MOM, providing scholarships for college bound students and for kids to attend Easter Seal Camp Wawbeek, sponsoring Cub Scout pack 240 , maintaining flower gardens at Lakeview Park and at the Vilas Zoo, and supporting the Red Kettle effort for the Salvation Army.
The Middleton Lions Club is part of the largest international service organization in the world. Its mission is “To empower volunteers to serve their communities, meet humanitarian needs, encourage peace and promote international understanding through Lions Clubs.” The Middleton Lions Club motto is “We Serve”. Examples of Lions’ service projects include children’s vision screening, the Restoring Hope Transplant House, Lions Camp, Reach-a-Child, Middleton baseball, Braille Library & Transcribing Services and Cub Scout Pack 540. They also offer scholarships to local graduating seniors, and provide and service the local used eyeglass drop box
Rotary provides service to others, promotes integrity, and advances world understanding, goodwill, and peace through its fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders. The Good Neighbor Festival was thrilled to welcome back The Rotary Club of Madison West Towne-Middleton as a trustee organization in 2019. The group’s mission is striving to be the coolest Rotary Club in the world, by doing good in the world and the community.
They raise money to help the community in many ways including an annual golf outing, Notara horse driving trial, and McAdow biking contest. The funds raised benefit community, vocational and International programs such as Habitat for Humanity, Rotary Youth Leadership and the Guatemalan Medical Relief Program
Optimists
The Middleton Optimists’ core mission is serving the youth of our community. The Optimists are driven by the idea that aiding and encouraging the development of youth and giving one’s self in service to others will result in the well-being of the person, the community, and the world. The Optimists sponsor Scout Troop 940, host Cops and Bobbers with the Middleton Police Department, and bestow awards such as Rising Star and Student of the Month to exceptional Middleton High School and Clark Street Community School students, as well as scholarships and other support.
VFW Auxiliary
The VFW William “Sonny” Simon Post 8216 Auxiliary includes military and veteran family members, and funding for services that support military families in times of crisis and deployment at both state and national levels. The Auxiliary also supplies financial and in-kind support to Wisconsin VA Hospitals. The organization donates to a number of area groups such as: Middleton-Cross Plains Elementary Schools, Middleton Outreach Ministry, Madison Dry Hooch, local scouting programs, school scholarships as well as giving support to many other local charitable organizations.
Scouts BSA Troop 140 has been active in Middleton since 1959. In over 60 years hundreds of Middleton area youth and adults have shared the values and mission of Scouting while experiencing the outdoors, learning new skills, bonding with their fellow scouts, demonstrating leadership and providing service to the Middleton community. In 2019, Scouts BSA began registering girls in its program and Troop 40 was chartered. This troop allows young women to take advantage of all the same programs that the Boy Scouts of America has offered for over 100 years, including camping, service, advancement and an opportunity to work toward the rank of Eagle Scout.
Middleton Youth Hockey, Inc (MYH) is a non-profit organization, formed in 2001 to provide a healthy, competitive and educational program of recreational and competitive hockey to boys and girls of the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District, ranging from 4 years of age (Initiation) to 18 years of age (Midget). MYH’s philosophy is to promote the advancement of youth athletics through hockey by developing teamwork, sportsmanship, respect and camaraderie, while enhancing hockey skills, social development and competition.