2015 Lifetime Achievement Award Finalist
Buckets for Hunger, Inc.
Wayne Bisek Financial Services
Cetera Advisor Networks
After growing up in rural poverty, Wayne Bisek has spent most of his adult life combining his love for sports with his passion to feed hungry. Over twenty years ago, Bisek had the opportunity to raise money for a local food pantry and hosted a fundraiser featuring a charity ball game and raffle of sports memorabilia, starting with his own collection. The fundraiser’s success inspired him to start Buckets for Hunger, Inc. and enlist the support of some of his boyhood football heroes, including Jerry Kramer, Jim Taylor, and John Brockington, and a local basketball legend, Michael Finley. Bisek also persuaded his family, associates and friends to serve on the board of directors, volunteer at annual events and financially support the cause. Since its inception, Bisek has operated the charity with no paid staff – personally serving as board president, bookkeeper, writer of the annual newsletter and an annual trivia challenge to fight hunger, and a myriad of other volunteer roles. For the numerous events held annually – basketball tournaments, shooting contests, camps, seminars, silent auctions, and trivia challenges – he recruits new athletes, corporate sponsors and donors, plans and runs each event, and garners additional sports memorabilia for the auctions. In addition to logging an average of 75 hours a month year-round volunteering for the charity, he is a generous financial contributor. In all, Buckets for Hunger has donated over $2 million to over 30 food pantries throughout Wisconsin and several other states. In recognition of his volunteerism, Bisek has received awards from the Wisconsin State Journal, Southern Wisconsin Community Action Coalition, American Express, and Mass Mutual Financial Group.