The Emerson Club, one of the three Whitewater Federation of Women’s Clubs (WFWC) who strive to promote helpfulness and improvement to the community, are hosting their first ever Packer Tailgate Fundraiser.

On Thursday, Oct. 20, from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., tailgate lunches, afternoon games and prizes sent from the Green Bay Packers will be up for grabs before the big Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers showdown.

“Being Packer fans in this area and the Packers play the Bears that night so we thought it would be a good way to start, a fun way to start,” said Schumacher.

There will be a tailgate lunch as well as an afternoon of table games such as Poker and Bridge.

Door prizes will be given away at the event as well as other prizes provided by Emerson Club members.

All of the proceeds for the event will go to the WFWC’s Bassett House Endowment Fund to help preserve Whitewater’s historic Bassett House.

“So this is the first one we’ve ever done but we hope to be do it every fall so people will look forward to it and want to come back again and again,” Linda Robinson, Emerson Club
president said.

Donations to the Endowment are also welcome and can be sent to Emerson Club member Kathy Schumacher, made out to the WFWC.

The Bassett House was willed by Florence Bassett to Whitewater Federation of Women’s Clubs in 1926.

Today, there are four remaining clubs that take care of the Bassett House.

With maintenance costs increasing, the foundation for the Endowment Fund was voted on last May, so the clubs can apply for grants and other means to maintain the historical site.

“It’s a beautiful old home and we’ve done a great job of maintaining it, however, this last summer we had to put on a new roof and there’s other things that need to be done,” said Schumacher.

The Bassett House will states that if the house can no longer be maintained, it will be turned over to either the city or
the University.

“There is a concern where if it goes to the city or to the university, you know where it’s located, it’s probably going to get turned into a parking lot,” Robinson said. “So we want to make sure the house stays standing we want it to always be in existence.”

Throughout history, the Bassett House has provided the federation with a place for women to socialize, plan fundraisers for the community and learn.

“History is an important part of Whitewater and we want to be able to maintain it and this is sort of a kick off to get the community and the area aware of the Bassett House and the history and what we need to do,” Schumacher said.

While the endowment campaign is in the early planning stages, it is expected to take three years or more to go through.

For more information, contact Linda Robinson at (262) 473-3298  or via email at [email protected]. Schumacher can be reached for more information
at (262) 473-3351.