CANCELED: Fête de Marquette

press release: The Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center and Willy Street Co-op are announcing today that Fete de Marquette scheduled for July 9-12 is canceled for the safety of attendees and staff members who would work the event. 

The decision to cancel the event benefiting the Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center was made after a review of the state’s COVID-19 plan, discussions with local officials, and consultation with Willy Street Co-op, which is the presenting sponsor. Fete de Marquette is Wil-Mar’s largest fundraiser and has raised over $1.2 million in the last 14 years since its conception. The money helps support several life-building programs including emergency food services, after school and summer camps for kids, teen employment, meals and fitness services for seniors, and subsidization of mental health services. 

“We are committed to making sure we’re able to take care of the people we serve during this pandemic so we’re going to have to rely on community support in other forms,” said Gary Kallas, Executive Director of the Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center.  “We’re going to be launching an online giving campaign, and we hope that the people who would buy a raffle ticket or spin the wheel or buy a drink at Fete will consider showing their support in this new way. The people we serve rely on it.” Willy Street Co-op has pledged to repurpose money it would have used to sponsor this event to instead help support the giving campaign.

The Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center facility is currently closed with the exception of their Wednesday Food Pantry and Saturday Meal Program.

Willy Street Co-op’s annual meeting of Owners, which always takes place at the music festival, will still be held virtually. “Our Board of Directors felt that it was best this year to have a virtual annual meeting, as we have been doing for the April and scheduled May board meetings,” said Brendon Smith, Communications Director at Willy Street Co-op. “We know many Owners look forward to the party portion of the event, and we will work on a different way to celebrate our Owners safely later in the year.”

Since Willy Street Co-op’s inception in 1974, its customers have invested over $3 million through Community Shares of Wisconsin and the co-op has created several innovative programs including the Community Reinvestment Fund and a retail version of the popular Double Dollars vouchers to provide additional fresh produce for customers using QUEST cards. The co-op has over 35,000 owners and three locations, in Madison and Middleton. Willy Street Co-op is the Madison area’s largest consumer-owned neighborhood grocer, offering organic, locally produced, and conventional foods. The co-op believes that a sustainable local economy is vital to the health and well-being of everyone in the community.

Anyone can shop at the co-op and everyone is welcome to join and become an owner. For more information on Willy Street Co-op, please visit www.willystreet.coop, Facebook or Twitter.

The Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center offers a variety of programs for residents throughout Madison.

Saturday Free Community Meal: Providing more than 100 hot meals each week, this meal is free and open to all. Each Saturday, volunteers from local service organizations and faith-based organizations prepare a hot meal with a salad, vegetables, dessert, and coffee. Product ingredients and space is supported by the Center. 

Senior Fitness: Serving over 100 seniors weekly, Wil-Mar’s gentle chair yoga classes, yoga for osteoporosis, strong women, strong bones classes, and various dance classes take place Monday through Friday and Sunday evenings at the Center. 

Wil-Mar Food Pantry: Wil-Mar's Food Pantry is open on Wednesday from 11-2 pm. 1500 households access the life-giving food and personal hygiene items each year. Guests should bring with them a photo ID and piece of mail if possible, although it is not necessary.  

Wil-Mar Bread Shelves: Located in Wil-Mar's lobby, these shelves provide overstock produce, donated food items, and bread and baked goods "gleaned" from local bakeries and grocery stores throughout the week. Food destined for the dump gets into the hands and bellies of those in need! Vegetables and herbs grown at Lapham Elementary have also been made available during the summer months on these shelves. More than 2000 people access the bread shelves annually. 

After-School Child Care: Wil-Mar's After-School Child Care offers structured academic, social, and cultural activities to school-age children aged 5-12 years old. Children also enjoy healthy snacks each day. Tuition is based on a generous sliding-fee scale. For more information, visit the After-School Child Care page. 

Summer Camps:  Wil-Mar offers two camps annually for school-aged 5 -12 years old. The first is a State Licensed 9-week camp offering daylong, Monday through Friday structured recreational, social, and cultural activities. The second, is a 7-week, half-day drop-in camp offering similar activities while also providing first-time work experiences for area teens.  Combined the camps serve up over 200 youth.    

For more information, see www.wil-mar.org.