Reaching for Rainbows ‘Pursuit of Excellence’ gala relocated to UW-Parkside

The annual Reaching for Rainbows “Pursuit of Excellence” event regularly hosted at Carthage College will be relocated to the University of Wisconsin-Parkside Student Center Ballroom on Tuesday, April 12.

The Mahone Fund and Carthage, a major sponsor, announced the change in venue as Carthage transitions food service providers. The reception will start at 5:30 p.m. and the program will begin at 6:30 p.m. The event is sold out.

On April 12, the community together at the annual Reaching for Rainbows “Pursuit of Excellence” event to celebrate and honor longtime educator and Mahone Fund Board President Bryan Albrecht with the Living Legend Community Award. 

The Community Award is given to an individual or organization whose lifetime accomplishments represent Mary Lou and Arthur Mahone’s multicultural, humanitarian and educational philosophy. The 2021 recipients were two longtime community servants Alvin Owens and Gary Vargas.

After a long and illustrious tenure at Gateway Technical College, Albrecht recently announced his retirement as GTC President and CEO. Throughout his 38-year career in education, he received several professional accolades for his work, including being selected for the National Coalition of Certification Centers Founder’s Award and the Wisconsin Association for Career and Technical Education’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Albrecht has been a member of the Mahone Fund Board for over 12 years. He has presided as Board President for nine years, ushering in a period of tremendous stability and financial growth. 

“Bryan’s devout stewardship created a trajectory of enormous success for the Mahone Fund leading to an increase in the amount and number of scholarship distributions, increase in active volunteers and community awareness activities,” said Debbie Ford, vice chair of the Mahone Fund Board.

“It is inspirational to reflect on the impact the Mahone Fund has made throughout our community,” Albrecht said. “I am humbled to receive this recognition and will use it to strengthen the important mission of service to others.”

The Mahone Fund legacy is rooted in Bryan’s long-term inspirational vision to create generational impact with the families they serve. Under his leadership, the Mahone Fund is better positioned in the region to respond to the needs of the community and create strategic partnerships that support the financial, academic and career internship opportunities for their students.

“Bryan’s overall impact on education and youth is hard to quantify. Bryan’s dedication and commitment to ensuring students from all walks of life have access to quality education is displayed in his daily life. From his contributions to the success of the Mahone Fund, to the continued growth of Gateway Technical College, and the partnerships he created so that the youth and community have the resources and chances to keep bettering themselves through education. He exemplifies servant leadership that has helped our Mahone Fund CEO scholars achieve their dreams and become mentors and leaders in their own way,” Shebaniah Muhammad and Terri Wruck, co-chairs of the Mahone Scholarship Committee, said in a joint statement.

“The Mahone family is grateful for Bryan’s transparent and unwavering commitment to perpetuate and uplift my parents.”

– Tim Mahone, Mahone Fund chairman

Proceeds from the event support the Fund’s Career Exploration Organization (CEO) mentoring program which aids low-to-moderate income youth in their pursuit of higher education by supporting college prep, career planning and community service engagement activities. 

Participants in this program create a pipeline for the Mahone Fund Scholarship program which will award over $250,000 in college scholarships to local area high school students this year.

“Over several decades, Gateway has developed a meaningful relationship with the Mahone Family because our missions align with strengthening our community through service,” Albrecht said. “Together through the Mahone Fund we commit to inspire hope and opportunity through education and community trust.”

Mahone Fund chairman Tim Mahone added: “Bryan and I have developed a lasting friendship beyond his role with the Board. We both understand the importance of establishing partnerships to create sustainable impact and create positive outcomes for the greater good in this community. His boundless commitment to our organization as well as his tremendous support for others makes Bryan a true Living Legend. The Mahone family is grateful for Bryan’s transparent and unwavering commitment to perpetuate and uplift my parents.”

The Mary Lou & Arthur F. Mahone Fund mission is to provide educational opportunities for economically and academically deserving youth, while supporting healthy lifestyle initiatives in communities of color. The Fund is a component of the Kenosha Community Foundation. To support the Mahone Fund programs please visit mahonefund.org.

For more information please call the Mahone Fund office at (262) 654-2412.