Madison, WI (April 16, 2024) —Construction has started on the First Tee – South Central Wisconsin’s new home in Madison, which will be known as the John Flesch Golf & Academic Center. This facility will assist First Tee – South Central Wisconsin in their mission to continue to “Build Game Changers” by empowering kids and teens to be the best version of themselves.
The groundbreaking ceremony on April 12 was led by the First Tee youth participants and the Flesch family. First Tee helps close the local opportunity gap while teaching valuable life skills to community youth, ages five to 18. The Flesch family was a founding benefactor of this non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. John Flesch was active with the First Tee Board of Directors since its inception in 2005 and was chair from 2010 until his passing in 2019.
“Not only do we focus on making the game of golf and its values accessible for all, but we also focus on closing the opportunity gap here in Madison using our core values and our after-school academic remediation programming – an opportunity we would not have without John Flesch’s efforts as former First Tee Board Chair,” says Ashlyn Mehlhaff, executive director of First Tee – South Central Wisconsin. “This space will be a game changer for us, providing a safe space for our participants to learn, play and grow in the game of golf and life.”
Last year, First Tee – South Central Wisconsin served more than 12,000 youth. The new facility will feature classrooms, a players’ lounge, meeting space, three simulators and an indoor chipping and putting area.
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About Gordon Flesch Company
The Gordon Flesch Company is one of the largest independent providers of office technology solutions in the nation. Family-owned since 1956, the Gordon Flesch Company employs more than 650 people throughout 30 offices in the Midwest, with their corporate office in Madison, Wisconsin. They deliver unique business process expertise to solve challenging problems and achieve organizational goals. This includes integrating industry-leading software and hardware to build custom solutions that are supported by technical expertise, customer service and flexible, in-house financial services.
About First Tee – South Central Wisconsin
First Tee – South Central Wisconsin enables kids to build the strength of character that empowers them through a lifetime of new challenges. By seamlessly integrating the game of golf with life skills curriculum, First Tee – South Central Wisconsin creates learning experiences that build inner strength, self-confidence and resilience that kids carry to everything they do.
