WaterStoneBank-2MILWAUKEE – Marquette free throws will mean much more than points on the scoreboard this season. WaterStone Bank will partner with Marquette Athletics and Learfield Sports’ Marquette Sports Properties during the 2015-16 college basketball season to benefit Dryhootch of America. Through the ‘Marquette for Vets’ partnership, WaterStone Bank aspires to raise funds and awareness for Dryhootch of America, a nonprofit 501c3 organization formed by combat Veterans to help Veterans in their return home. “Hootch” is military jargon for a hut or safe place to sleep during combat. The term “dry” denotes the organization’s mission to provide a social gathering place for Veterans that is free of alcohol – one of the major problems plaguing Veterans of all eras. As such, the concept behind “Dryhootch” was a desire to establish a café-like environment dedicated to “helping Veterans who survived the war, survive the peace.”

“We are proud to partner with Marquette Athletics to support `veterans helping veterans’,” said Doug Gordon, President and CEO of WaterStone Bank. “We thank the men and women who protect our freedom by supporting great organizations like Dryhootch.”

WaterStone Bank will make a cash donation for every free throw made during each Marquette men’s and women’s basketball game this season. As part of the campaign, t-shirts are being designed to highlight the partnership and will be sold online (dryhootch.org) and at the Dryhootch Milwaukee coffee shop. All proceeds benefit Dryhootch of America.

The program will employ Marquette radio, game day and social media assets to support Dryhootch in their mission to provide a place where Veterans can gather informally in a coffee house; a safe, comfortable, drug-and-alcohol-free environment. The partnership between WaterStone Bank and Marquette Athletics was secured by Marquette Sports Properties, the exclusive multimedia rights holder for the University of Marquette.

Brian Hardin, Marquette Athletics Deputy Athletic Director, shared the following comments regarding the partnership. “Marquette Athletics is honored to be included in WaterStone Bank’s efforts to support Dryhootch of America and their support of military veterans and their families. We feel that the programming will help raise awareness and funds for a worthy organization in support of those who have served our country. We appreciate the opportunity to participate in this partnership.”

A promotional campaign encouraging fans and military personnel to nominate their Marquette for Vets MVP will be introduced at the beginning of the college basketball season. The promotion will ask participants to nominate a past or present member of the military as the Marquette for Vets MVP. The Marquette for Vets MVP winner must be a past or present member of the military. The winner will be recognized on the court at a Marquette men’s home basketball game in addition to receiving a prize package as part of his or her acknowledgement. The Marquette for Vets MVP winner will be chosen near the end of the basketball season. Any participants who nominate military personnel for the Marquette for Vets MVP will be eligible to win Marquette men’s and women’s basketball tickets during the season. Visit go.mu.edu/MU4Vets to enter or for more details.

“The partnership of WaterStone Bank and Marquette is huge for veterans and their families,” said Bob Curry, President of Dryhootch. “Programs like WaterStone’s Military Valor Program (MVP) and Marquette’s awareness campaign are key in helping our veterans return home.”

In conjunction with the partnership, WaterStone Bank is promoting its new a Military Valor Program (MVP) exclusively for Active Duty Service Members, Military Veterans, and Reserve and National Guard Service Members. More details on the program can be found at wsbonline.com/mvp.

About Dryhootch
Dryhootch is a nonprofit 501c3 organization formed by combat Veterans to help Veterans in their return home. Dryhootch was envisioned as a place where Veterans could gather informally in a coffee house — a safe, comfortable, drug-and-alcohol-free environment. Learn more at dryhootch.org/.

About WaterStone Bank
WaterStone Bank, established in 1921, offers a full suite of personal and business banking products. The community bank has branches in Wauwatosa, Brookfield, Franklin/Hales Corners, Fox Point, Germantown/Menomonee Falls, Greenfield, Oak Creek, Oconomowoc/Lake Country, Pewaukee, Waukesha/Brookfield and West Allis, Wisconsin along with a commercial lending branch in Minneapolis, Minnesota. WaterStone Bank is the parent company to Waterstone Mortgage, which offers mortgage banking offices in 18 states. For more information about WaterStone Bank, go to wsbonline.com. Follow WaterStone Bank on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Google+.

About Learfield Sports
In addition to Marquette, Learfield Sports manages the multimedia rights and sponsorships for nearly 120 collegiate institutions and associations, and titles the prestigious Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup. Learfield represents collegiate institutions, conferences and arenas for their respective multimedia rights and sponsorship initiatives, and offers these partners with professional concessions and ticket sales, licensing and trademark consulting, digital platform expertise and venue and technology systems through its owned companies. To learn more about its history, businesses and job opportunities, visit www.learfieldsports.com.