New Glarus Brewing Company Awards Grant to Ben Jackson Foundation
Share
Tweet
Sue Moen
Employees from the New Glarus Brewing Company presented a check to Larry and Jen Jackson with a grant for the Ben Jackson Foundation. From left: Ciaran O'Neill-Culhane, Tom Jackson, Ben Jackson, Jen Jackson, Dustin Stelter and Tim Goeke.
Only in Wisconsin Giving, Inc., the charitable arm of the New Glarus Brewing Company, recently presented the Ben Jackson Foundation with a grant for Wisconsin residents serving in the US military.
"This grant of $2,500 will make it possible for five enlisted members of our military to return home to Wisconsin to spend time and create memories with family and friends and will help ease the burden of their sacrifice," Jen Jackson said. Jackson is the Foundation's Director of Development and mom of Ben Jackson. The Ben Jackson Foundation provides "Ticket Home Awards", which help pay for travel expenses of first-term US military members when coming home on leave.
As a result of this grant from the Only in Wisconsin Giving, Inc., military members from Oshkosh, Green Bay, Eau Claire, Madison, and Merrillan will be making trips home from bases in South Dakota, Georgia, Alaska, and Washington.
One recipient, who hasn't been home in two years, commented, "I cannot thank the Ben Jackson Foundation and New Glarus Brewing Company enough for this opportunity. Myself, my wife, family, and friends are blown away by the generosity given to me."
Another commented, "Right now, being so far away, plane tickets are hard to afford, but thankfully due to the Ben Jackson Foundation I will be able to go home. I plan to cherish every moment that I will be home, surrounded by family and friends!"
Ben Jackson, who graduated from New Glarus High School in 2016, was serving in the Air Force when he died in April of 2018. Seven weeks before that, he travelled home from Japan to visit family and friends in New Glarus. Ben's family wanted to make sure other young military members had the same opportunity to visit home and founded the Ben Jackson Foundation, which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit based in New Glarus.
Earlier this year, the Ben Jackson Foundation expanded their eligibility for awards to allow anyone from any state, not just Wisconsin, to apply. To date, they have given over 150 Ticket Home awards totaling over $100,000 to military members stationed around the world.
