Green Bay Packers Support Brigade

On Friday, July 11, Onaway Island buzzed with excitement as the youth and leaders made preparations for a visit by the Green Bay Packer Tailgate Bus Tour.  Packer players Brandon Jackson, James Jones, Jason Spitz, and president and CEO Mark Murphy were surprised with a welcome to the island by a band of Scottish boys in traditional plaid kilts playing bag pipes and drums.  The Packer visit occurred over Camp Onaway’s international week in which youth and leaders from Brigade organizations from Scotland and Denmark had traveled for a week of camping with their American friends. 

Mark Murphy opened the visit with a short greeting and asked each of the players to address the crowd of over 100 American, Danish, and Scottish campers.  Brandon Jackson talked to the youth about the importance of discipline and respect for others.  He said, “Discipline is a skill that you will need for life.”  James Jones talked about the importance of teamwork and building relationships.  He also thanked the Packer fans and was thankful for their support of the team.  Jason Spitz brought a touch of humor to the crowd and opened by asking where he could get a kilt.  The encouraging words from the Packers tied into the leadership training and character development emphasis at Camp Onaway. 

A question and answer session followed where the youth asked questions like:  when are the Packers coming to Scotland, who do the Packers view as their biggest rival, and have you ever played rugby.  Mark Murphy fielded most of the questions and went on to encourage the youth to work hard at their goals in life and related to how dedicated players have to be to their work ethic as the average player is only in the NFL for 3.5 years. 

Cabin chief and 12th year Brigader Lori Jilek enthusiastically shared about the typical schedule for a day at camp.  The Packer players were impressed that campers got up at 7:15 a.m. and went without television, video games, and cell phones the entire week.  Lori also told about the fun activities for campers like water sports, climbing wall and rope courses, fishing, swimming, kayaking, crafts, and games.  Brandon Jackson asked about meals and if there were any snacks, which brought a round of laughter from the group. 

Mark Murphy then presented the Brigade with a $4,000 check from the Green Bay Packers Foundation in partnership with the Garth Brooks Teammates for Kids Foundation.  John Dery, executive director of the Brigade later commented, “We’re thrilled to receive this wonderful financial support from the Packers, every year we seek partners to help provide scholarships for youth who need financial assistance to attend camp.  This gift will make a difference in the lives of many youth.”  Dery also went on to say, “Youth look up to professional sports players as heroes and role models.  The youth took the Packer players’ messages to heart and were positively impacted by the visit.”

After the check presentation Mark Murphy and the players signed autographs and were treated to homemade chocolate cookies.  With just a few minutes left Brandon Jackson and James Jones jumped into a game of four-square with the kids.  As the Packers were shuttled away the campers sang their camp song from the dock as a sign of friendship and delight over the visit.  More photos are available at www.packers.com. 

The Brigade mission is: We Build Leaders. Character development and leadership programs are offered for sixth through twelfth grade youth at the Brigade building located at 109 W. Columbian Avenue in Neenah, Wisconsin.  Summer camp experiences are offered at Onaway Island in Waupaca, Wisconsin.  Youth are served by hundreds of adult volunteer leaders.  For more information on how to join or become a volunteer visit Brigade’s website at www.bgbrigade.com or call (920) 725-3983. 

CAPTION:  John Dery (left), executive director of the Boys’ & Girls’ Brigade receives a check on behalf of the Brigade for $4,000 from Mark Murphy (right), president and CEO of the Green Bay Packers.  The presentation took place at Onaway Island during the Brigade’s international camp with visitors from Scotland and Denmark.