Milwaukee Ballet gratefully acknowledges all donors who contributed to our Capital Campaigns. The lists below reflect those gifts of $500 and above.
Baumgartner Center for Dance broke ground in 2017 and opened its doors in September 2019 thanks to generous support from our Building Capital Campaign Donors. Our heartfelt gratitude is given to all of the donors who made this vision a reality, with extra special thanks to Donald and Donna Baumgartner for ensuring the future of our facility.
Baumgartner Center Donors
Plans for a new production of The Nutcracker began as an extension of the Capital Campaign to build the Baumgartner Center. The campaign was paused with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 but was relaunched as a new $5 million campaign in 2022.
Thank you to those who have contributed to bringing the new Nutcracker to life on stage in December 2023. Special thanks to our commissioning lead donors, Jan Pirozzolo-Mellowes and John W. Mellowes.
New Nutcracker Donors
$500,000+
Robert Dohmen
Herzfeld Foundation
David & Julia Uihlein
Mary Vandenberg & Keith Mardak
Jan Pirozzolo-Mellowes & John Mellowes
$200,000 – $499,999
Donald & Donna Baumgartner
Stanley Kritzik
Susanna & Justin Mortara
$100,000 – $199,999
We Energies Foundation
Anne & Tom Metcalfe
The Windhover Foundation
The Bradley Foundation
Tony & Andrea Bryant
Jan Serr & John Shannon
$50,000 – $99,999
Peck Foundation Milwaukee, Ltd.
$25,000 – $49,999
Anonymous (2)
Clair & Mary Baum
Lois & Richard Pauls
Michael & Mary Burke Ryan
Sue & Allan “Bud” Selig
von Briesen & Roper, s.c.
$10,000 – $24,999
Jennifer Abele
Baird
Jane Bell
Charter Manufacturing Company
Sue & Tony Krausen
$5,000 – $9,999
Jason & Heidi Bemis
Linda Benfield & Steve Wallace
Bucyrus Foundation Inc., in honor of Mary Ann LaBahn
Kay & John Crichton
Catherine L. Davies
Elizabeth & Charlie Haas
Kelly & Karina Noyes
Adam & Laura Peck
Jill G. Pelisek
John & Audra Rumpf
Craig Young & Sharon Busey
$2,500 – $4,999
Kathy Averbeck
Chris & Krista Boyce
Cheryl & Stuart Carron
Hinsdale Dance Academy
Christine & Tom Irgens
Richard & Sarah Kimball
Herb Kohl Philanthropies
Dr. Suzanne Martens
Gregory & Susan Milleville
New Haven Ballet
Town Bank, A Wintrust Community Bank
$1,000 – $1,499
Nicole Andersen
Barb Baltz
Matt & Kellen Bartel
Sara Baumgartner
Lisa & Bob Collins
Kathleen Allen Crocker
Tyler Curran
Christine Czernejewski
Sarah & Peter Damsgaard
Buffy & Steve Duback
Kristy & Ian Elfe
Amanda Elliott
Stephen Elliott
Engage Dance Academy
Christine & David Foley
Tim & Sue Frautschi
Renee & Chad Griswold
Bernadine Hoeft
Mike & Mary Ignatowski
Kendra Scott LLC
Dr. Dean & Mary Klinger
Rebekah & Thomas Kowalski
Thomas & Jane Lacy
Anne Martino
Ann Neely
The John Oster Family Foundation
Neil & Erica Riegelman
Molly & John Thiel
$500 – $999
William & Barbara Boles
Amy & Dennis Connolly
Kristi & Michael Draver
The Effective Communication Coach
Lori Erickson & John Bell
Tasha Hamilton
Richard Hariman
Melissa Hayden
David & Christie Melby-Gibbons
AnnMarie & Wayne Kraszewski
David Krier
Robert Lyon & Gabrielle Davidson
Nancy & David Putz
Jeffrey & Wende Raasch
Austin Ramirez
Barbara C. Steinmetz
Keri Sarajian, Rick Stratton & Family
The Walters Family
Rebecca Wanek
Mark & Anne Weitenbeck