MADISON, Wis. — When it comes to anniversaries, gold is the traditional gift for the 50th, and diamonds are for 75th. But what do you give for a 180th anniversary? According to Wisconsin, it’s cheese! Wisconsin has been making cheese even longer than it’s been a state, and this year marks a big milestone. To celebrate their 180th anniversary of cheesemaking, the dairy farmers and artisan cheesemakers from across Wisconsin have donated their most sought-after creations. One grand prize winner will have the opportunity to custom design their own Grand Towering Cheese Wheel Cake, to be comprised of their preferred selection of enviable Wisconsin Cheeses.
On Wednesday, May 26th, an entire month of in-store, restaurant and online promotions celebrating Wisconsin Cheese will culminate in a virtual event featuring award-winning cheesemakers, surprise guests, education, musical performances and yes – the chance to win 180 prizes from the State of Cheese®! Tune into the Wisconsin Cheese Facebook or YouTube pages on May 26th at 7pm CT / 8pm ET to watch the event live.
Registration for The Great Wisconsin Cheese Giveaway opens today, May 13th at noon CT / 1 p.m. ET and closes Tuesday, May 25th at 12pm / 1 p.m. CT. Registration is free and unlimited for this event. Grab your spot today for a chance to win a host of exclusive prizes, including:
- Grand Towering Cheese Wheel Cake – designed and delivered for your next grand event
- World Champion Roth Grand Cru® Surchoix – an entire wheel of this championship cheese
- Exclusive, first taste of Hook’s 15-year aged cheddar before its Fall 2021 release
- Quarterly Curd Drops – seasonal shipments of fresh cheese curds from four different makers
- Assorted Gift Baskets – featuring cheeses inspired by Wisconsin’s European roots, the best blues, a cheddar flight or spicy favorites!
- Too Gouda to Be True – quarter wheel of award-winning Marieke Gouda
- Limited Edition Cheese Lover’s Box – featuring an exclusive, curated selection of fun Wisconsin Cheese swag and a $50 gift card to shop for Wisconsin Cheese
“We are proud to honor the incredible creativity and mastery of our state’s cheesemakers as we host this final event for American Cheese Month,” says Suzanne Fanning, Chief Marketing Officer for Wisconsin Cheese and SVP at Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin. “Wisconsin cheesemakers continue to craft award-winning cheese rooted in centuries of history and heritage, as we’ve highlighted in retail, at restaurants and online all month long. We’re also thrilled to provide an opportunity to support a fantastic cause during this last event with the Great American Milk Drive.”
To make dairy more accessible to millions of people across the country, attendees are invited to donate to The Great American Milk Drive at the time of registration. The program helps deliver fresh milk to Feeding America® food banks which serve communities nationwide.
Wisconsin is the nation’s leading producer of specialty and award-winning cheeses, the only state that requires a license to make cheese and the only place outside Switzerland with a Master Cheesemaker program – all of which ensure you’ll be eating the world’s best cheese when you buy products with the Proudly Wisconsin Cheese® badge. Look for the Wonders of Wisconsin cheese displays at over 7,000 grocery store locations throughout May as retailers nationwide put a spotlight on Wisconsin specialty cheeses during American Cheese Month.
Official Contest Rules can be found at WisconsinCheese.com/Contest-Rules.
About Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin: Funded by Wisconsin dairy farmers, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin is a non-profit organization that focuses on marketing and promoting Wisconsin’s world-class dairy products. For more information, visit our website at WisconsinDairy.org.
About Wisconsin Cheese: The tradition of cheesemaking excellence began 180 years ago, before Wisconsin was recognized as a state. Wisconsin’s 1,200 cheesemakers, many of whom are third- and fourth-generation, continue to pass on old-world traditions while adopting modern innovations in cheesemaking craftsmanship. For more information, visit WisconsinCheese.com or connect on Facebook. For serious cheese fanatics who want to celebrate Wisconsin Cheese all year long, consider joining Cheeselandia, Wisconsin’s online cheese community.
