(Pictured Left: 2015 Award Recipient Mrs. Cathy Tritz)

Rafters Partner With Skyward, Inc. To Hold 4th Annual Teacher Of The Year Essay Contest

Students And Parents Are Encouraged To Nominate A Teacher Who Has Had An Impact In Their Education

Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.- The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters and Skyward, Inc. have again partnered to hold Educator’s Appreciation Night at Witter Field in 2017. As part of the evening, the Rafters and Skyward will honor an area teacher as the Skyward Central Wisconsin Teacher of the Year. The selected teacher will have a bobblehead created of them, which will be given away to fans at the game next season. The honoree will also be invited to the Educator’s Appreciation Night, where they will be recognized on the field prior to the Rafters game by throwing out the ceremonial first pitch. In addition, the chosen teacher and their family will receive free tickets to attend the game, courtesy of Skyward.

Past recipients of the Skyward Central Wisconsin Teacher of the Year award include: Mrs. Cathy Tritz of Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln High School, Mr. Bill Oswald of Wisconsin Rapids Area Middle School, Ms. Jessica Fischer of Ben Franklin Junior High in Stevens Point, and Mr. Scott Sigourney of Woodside Elementary in Wisconsin Rapids.

“Skyward is pleased to partner with the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters in an effort to recognize teachers making an impact in education,” said Cliff King, CEO of Skyward. “These teachers play a pivotal role in shaping student success, and Skyward appreciates their mission to create a better learning environment.

In preparation for next year’s event, the Rafters are encouraging all students to nominate a teacher who they feel has made a positive impact on their life and deserves to be recognized as the Skyward Central Wisconsin Teacher of the Year. Students, 4-K-12, as well as parents and guardians are invited to participate by submitting an essay (Criteria: 300 words or less, single spaced, 12 font)

1. By mail to:

Wisconsin Rapids Rafters

ATTN: Teacher of the Year

521 Lincoln Street

Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494

-Or-

2. By email to: emily@raftersbaseball.com.

The essay submission should explain why the nominated teacher is most deserving of the recognition and is due Wednesday, December 7th, 2016 by 5:00 pm. The essay should include the individual’s home address and phone number at the top of the page, to allow Rafters staff an opportunity to notify them if the teacher they nominated was selected. Any individual(s) who writes an essay recommending the winning teacher will receive four (4) tickets to the Educator’s Appreciation Night and an autographed baseball from the 2017 Rafters team

The Rafters will announce the date of the Educator’s Appreciation Night along with a full listing of the 2017 promotional schedule in the spring. The Rafters Front Office and MADA Rafthouse Team Shop is open all offseason Monday through Friday from 9am-5pm.

About Skyward

Skyward has been helping school districts and municipalities improve outcomes, reduce costs, and achieve success since 1980. Skyward’s SIS and ERP solutions are used by more than 1,900 public sector organizations worldwide, from small entities to statewide implementations supporting millions of stakeholders. Through a unique approach that blends thought leadership, best practices, and advanced technology, Skyward is redefining what it means to be a strategic partner in the world of enterprise solutions. To learn more, visit www.skyward.com.

###

The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The 23-year-old summer collegiate league is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 160 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (CHC). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.raftersbaseball.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Rafters as your favorite team.