How Team Ready Came To Be....

Since Team Ready has grown begun to grow into a very recognizable group. Many times during various events, people will see these TEAM READY shirts, or hats, or cozies. They will ask, "What is TEAM READY?" How do we explain it appropriately? Well here goes...

Team Ready finds it's origin in the common thread call Camp Tesomas. Many years ago, there were several fine young men that spent numerous summers working with the youth at this summer camp. Many a good time was had during these years. Unfortunately, as we grew older, we became less able to continue to spend summers at this wonderful place. Well we decided, we were not going to let the relationships that we developed fade away as so many do.

Instead, we found many 'excuses' to reunite in Rhinelander to volunteer our time helping at camp and socializing in the area. During a few of these occasions we found that we developed a reputation, and in an effort to identify ourselves, we adopted the name TEAM READY. For those familiar with the team building activity called, a Trust Fall, the name is derived from one of the commands that the person falling calls out as he/she puts his/her faith into the team.

As the years passed, Team Ready found other occasions to gather: College Graduations, Weddings, Home Remodeling, Hodag Country Fest, Softball Leagues, Brewer and Packer Games, and Christmas celebrations among others. In addition, Team Ready has expanded to include, wives, girlfriends, classmates, teammates, fellow Hodagers, and friends of friends.

After a few more years of informal activities, Team Ready realized that as our members began to focus on starting families and careers we could still use our knowledge and resource assets to provide leadership towards activities that benefit charitable organizations and other deserving causes. And in an attempt to do so more effectively, Team Ready has become incorprated as our own non-profit organization in 2005 and then a 501(c)(3) charity in 2007.

In addition to continuing our many social events, we expanded our service events to other community organizations after becoming incorporated. During the summer of 2005 we organized the 1st Annual Team Ready Charity Softball Tournament to benefit the Marathon County American Red Cross and despite uncooperative weather, it was quite a success - visit our Charity Softball Tournament section for the inaugural 2005 recap (2nd Annual in 2006 was for Children's Miracle Network, 3rd Annual in 2007 was for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and 4th Annual in 2008 was for the Safe Kids programs, 5th Annual in 2009 for The Neighbors' Place and Operation Bootstrap food pantries, and 6th Annual in 2010 was for the Wissbroecker Family rehabiliation).

And in the fall of 2005, we provided a work crew to assist with siding a local Habit for Humanity house in Wausau - read more in our Community Service section (2006 and 2007-08 were both foundation & framing assistance on two different Stevens Point homes) and were specifically requested to help with a less fortunate family's home makeover in 2010.  We continued to build on the CLSR Fellowship that was started in 2004 and transitioned to the SCAA in 2010, and a food drive was added to the Winter Banquet in 2006.

Also in the Fall of 2006, Team Ready began a partnership with the Wausau East intramural sports program. Among other aspects, we helped organize and provide lunch for their annual year-end flag football tournament and food drive - an effort that was recognized by the Wausau School Board with their "Friends of Education" Special Service Award in 2008 and continues today.

From 2005 through this 2010 update, Team Ready members & friends have provided over 5,200 hours of community service and donated over $27,000 to local charitable causes and scholarships.  In the future we will be looking for future support either financially or through our time and talents. If you are interested in helping or know a good cause in the area, please contact the officers.

We look forward to welcoming more people onto our team.

TEAM READY!!!