Fundraiser honoring Jane Pettit's gift of the Bradley Center raises more than $400,000

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The basketball floor at the Bradley Center serves as a banquet hall during "Shine On," a program to mark the end of the Bradley Center. The dinner and program raised money for a variety of local groups and honored Jane Bradley Pettit, a benefactor who provided the funding to build the 30-year-old structure.

The final season fundraiser at the BMO Harris Bradley Center blew past its goal and generated $401,200 for 16 local community groups.

The event Wednesday night drew about 900 people to the downtown arena which is set to close this summer after 30 years.

Wednesday's "Shine On" celebration honored the legacy of Jane Bradley Pettit who donated the $90 million Bradley Center as a gift to the community.

Pettit donated the arena in memory of her father, Harry Lynde Bradley, co-founder and chairman of the Allen-Bradley Co. The company is now Rockwell Automation.

Pettit, who died in 2001, was a generous philanthropist for decades, sometimes making sizable contributions anonymously.

The Bradley Center has a handful of major public events remaining. They include at least two Milwaukee Bucks playoff games starting next week and a Bon Jovi concert April 29.

The Bucks plan to open their $524 million arena under construction just north of the Bradley Center in late summer. The facility was built with $250 million in public money.

The Bradley Center fundraiser was announced last fall, with an initial goal of $200,000. The money raised will be distributed to community groups and causes selected with input by the Pettit family and foundation.

Guests watch highlights during "Shine On," a program to mark the end of the Bradley Center. The dinner and program raised money for a variety of local groups and honored Jane Bradley Pettit, a benefactor who provided the funding to build the 30-year-old structure.

The fundraising total was announced by Bradley Center Board Chairman Ted Kellner and Gail Lione, chairwoman of the center’s charitable arm.

“When we announced the Pay it Forward fundraising campaign last fall, we knew there was no better way to celebrate Mrs. Pettit’s generous gift and the incredible history and lasting legacy of the BMO Harris Bradley Center,” Kellner said.

“Six months later, we are amazed and deeply touched by the community’s heartfelt response. The overwhelming success of this campaign is testament to the profound respect our community continues to have for Jane Bradley Pettit and everything her gift has meant to all of us.”

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“My grandmother had a generous heart, and her giving was all about people,” said Sarah Zimmerman, a BMO Harris Bradley Center Board member and Pettit’s granddaughter.

“It’s wonderful to see the way the center has touched so many people over its lifetime and to know that the final season will support the impactful and transformative work of 16 fine organizations who will continue to make our community better even after the Center closes its doors.”