Community Contributions

Ethan Monson-Dupuis died at age 25 from an accidental heroin overdose in 2016. Murphy & Prachthauser joins the effort to destigmatize addiction. The run is done to help raise awareness that addiction is a brain disease, not a character flaw or lack of willpower. Run or walk in honor of someone who is in recovery or who had lost their fight. All proceeds go to The Ethan Monson-Dupuis Opiate Recovery Fund through Aurora Health Care.

The team at Murphy & Pracuthauser also gives back to the community by offering pro-bono work. On such case involved a widow against an attorney for excessive attorney fees. In the course of the dispute, the court-ordered sanctions (a monetary fine) against the attorney, for what amounted to unlawful conduct. Since we were taking this case pro bono, we directed that the sanction be donated to Legal Action of Wisconsin, a group that provides legal services to the poor. That entity was very appreciative.

Race for Your Reason is a unique 5K that highlights 5 charities/causes. Participants may choose one of the provided charities to have their registration go towards, split across the 5 charities or write in whatever charity they support!

2019 Featured Charities: Special Spaces, Kathy’s House, Sarcoma Foundation of America, Alzheimer’s Association, and National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Rock the Burb’s goal is to bring entertainment to the surrounding suburban Wisconsin areas and connect people together through music. Rock the Burbs has teamed up with the MACC Fund. A portion of each ticket sale benefits ­­­­­­­­­­­­­childhood cancer research.

Life Navigators provides opportunities for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Life Navigators holds both educational and recreational activities for people with disabilities and their families. Additionally, Life Navigators helps educate families about creating trusts for their loved one and about the resources available in the community.

Since 1997, the St. Gerard Scholarship Fund, operated through the Milwaukee Archdiocese Office for Schools, has awarded scholarships to near Southside Milwaukee families with students attending Catholic Schools. Attorney Keith Stachowiak worked on establishing the fund when his longtime parish closed and the property was sold. Since its inception, the fund has awarded approximately a million dollars in scholarships. Attorney Stachowiak is still involved in reviewing the applications and, with the assistance of the staff at Murphy & Prachthauser, processing the paperwork each year that is behind the workings of the fund.

Youth athletics are an important part of a child’s development, and running a program properly, with an emphasis on sportsmanship, teaching, and team play is an important part of that program. For the past decade, Attorney Keith Stachowiak has sat on the Archdiocese of Milwaukee sports advisory board, which promulgates the rules and regulations that apply to all Catholic Schools in the Diocese. Attorney Stachowiak also serves as the league president of the Parkview League, the league consisting of Catholic Schools in the Southern part of the Milwaukee Metro area.

The Wisconsin Alliance for Fire Safety is an organization designed to educate about fire safety and support burn survivors. Murphy & Prachthauser shows its support for the organization each year by helping to sponsor a summer camp for youth burn survivors. The summer camps bring together children with significant burn injuries and give them an opportunity to have fun and improve their self-esteem. The WAFS relies on the generosity of its donors in order to host these summer camps and help these children move forward from their serious burn injuries.

Arlene Skwierawski is a former MPS High School choir director. After her retirement, she began directing an alumni choir along with her co-director K.C. Williams. The choir is comprised primarily of former students and homeless and former homeless members of the Milwaukee Community. The choir performs at various venues and events throughout Milwaukee and across the country but needs continuing support to ensure these talented singers and musicians can continue to provide uplifting music and a sense of hope to many Milwaukee residents.

The Bay View Bicycle Club is an organization designed to promote health and friendships through bicycling. Attorney Keith Stachowiak is a member of the organization and Murphy & Prachthauser supports the annual BVBC Classic Ride. In the past, proceeds from the race have helped support the Bike Federation of Wisconsin, Ozaukee Interurban Trail, the Hunger Task Force, the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee, and Big Brothers Big Sisters.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is a Catholic Parish located in New Berlin, Wisconsin. Each year, the parish holds a festival called Funfest. The festival hosts a car show, sheepshead tournament, gift raffle, bake sale, and many other events. The proceeds from the festival go to support the parish and its associated outreach missions.

The team at Murphy & Prachthauser has been highlighting local charities and organizations doing great things in our local community with the #GiveBackMKE initiative. As good lawyers who help people, we committed to making a monthly donation to a different local charity for 12 months.

In honor of New Berlin West High School’s beloved soccer coach, Michael Dillett, the Mike Dillett Memorial Scholarship Foundation was started after his death in December of 2009. Coach Dillett emphasized character and integrity for his players on and off the field. In order to keep his memory alive, the Foundation provides scholarships to New Berlin West Senior Soccer players who exemplify these characteristics. In order to fund these scholarships, the Foundation receives generous donations and hosts the Annual Mike Dillett Memorial Golf Outing. Murphy & Prachthauser contributed to the Mike Dillett Memorial Scholarship Foundation this year by sponsoring a hole at the golf outing.