WFAA Gives Campaign

WFAA employees have lots of opportunities to do good and have fun at the same time. Whether it’s babysitting plastic flamingoes for Fill the Hill or staffing the Alumni Park silent disco after the Homecoming Parade, it’s all about showing Badger spirit while supporting the university.

One opportunity to make a difference in the local Madison area is the WFAA Gives campaign. This year, staff raised a total of $90,760 for UW–Madison, United Way, and Community Shares.

Two weeks of activities raised awareness of the campaign. Staff who filled out pledge forms were entered in drawings for prizes such as men’s basketball tickets, gift cards, an overnight stay in the Fluno Center, and Badger-themed gear ranging from a hoodie to a fleece blanket.

They also attended a chili cookoff with an entry fee of donated canned goods. Besides providing some friendly competition and a chance to eat lunch with colleagues, the event generated overflowing barrels of food for the local NBC affiliate’s Share Your Holidays food drive.        

A total of 215 employees participated in the 2019 WFAA Gives Campaign for a participation rate of 71 percent — the second-highest level since the WFAA merger in 2015. Fourteen staff served on the campaign committee, which was headed by Mike Fahey ’89, managing director of state and university relations.

“WFAA Gives is a great opportunity for our staff to come together as one unit and demonstrate our commitment to the greater Madison community,” says Fahey. “The commitment of our staff to supporting WFAA Gives continues to awe and amaze me.”

Committee members Falicia Hines ’05 (chief of staff) and Susan Sheehan (senior director of membership & business development) both mentioned the chili cookoff as their favorite part of the annual initiative. They also agreed with Fahey that a key benefit of WFAA Gives is the opportunity to connect with colleagues from across the organization who they don’t normally see on a day-to-day basis. “It’s a good way to get to know them while making a difference for our community,” says Hines.