by Caley Meals, Features Editor

When a former Bucky Badger mascot graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1993 and moved to California, he knew he would not be able to stay away from Madison forever. During his time at UW, Derek Hildebrandt portrayed Bucky at many UW athletic events, and when he decided to give something back to his college community a few years later, Bucky was his inspiration.

Since 1997, Hildebrandt has organized and run the Greater Bucky Open, a charity-golf event that raises money for the Bucky Badger student mascots and, in recent years, for the UW Children’s Hospital.

“While making plans to return to Madison in the fall of ’97, I came to the conclusion that by hosting a golf tournament I could kill a number of birds with one golf ball,” Hildebrandt said. “I realized that I could visit family and friends, enjoy some Wisconsin fall weather, attend a UW football game, golf the Ridge and raise some money for the Badger Fund to support the Buckys.”

The event is always held on a home UW football weekend, and this year’s event was held yesterday at the University Ridge Golf Course, where Hildebrandt encouraged participants to “celebrate UW’s victory over North Carolina.”

Prior to Sunday’s golf event, the Bucky Open kicked off the weekend last Friday at the Children’s Hospital where Hildebrandt, members of the UW Football team and Bucky Badger himself handed out stuffed animals to the young patients. Collecting toys and bringing them to the children has been a “highlight” of the event, according to Hildebrandt, since the Children’s Hospital was first added to the GBO program over two years ago.

In the six years of the GBO’s existence, the number of participants has risen from an initial 12 golfers to this years’ 144 golfers, the maximum number the Ridge golf course can allow.

“The golf outing itself is not your ordinary event. We have many prizes and contests for every range of golfer,” Hildebrandt said. “For example, we have trophies for worst shot of the day, shortest drive, and we also tie up inflatable cows to the pins on a few par 3s and have a ‘Closest to the Cow’ contest.”

Last year’s events raised $4,000 for the Children’s Hospital and Badger Mascots, and Hildebrandt expected that this year’s GBO would raise even more.

UW Chancellor John Wiley is a big supporter of the event and in past years has even participated in the golf portion of the event.

“As Chancellor, I am very proud to be a part of a University that has such a wonderful and supportive alumni,” Wiley said. “Especially alumni that are former Bucky Badgers!”