League Profile

FOND DU LAC COUNTY TAVERN LEAGUE

The Fond du Lac County Tavern League, located at the foot of Lake Winnebago, is enjoying a renaissance. After an extended lull in activity, this league roared back in September 2021 and is now stronger than ever.

“We started with just shy of 30 members, but with the hard work of recruiting and promoting our events, we are now at 52 members,” says Vinny Egle, president of the Fond du Lac County Tavern League, who has been involved with the TLW since 2014. Egle is also a Fourth District Director and saw spearheading the reinstatement of the county league as a core responsibility of his position.

Vinny’s wife, KC, explains that, while the Fond du Lac County Tavern League was dormant for about 10 years, local owners were still committed to the TLW and retained their memberships by joining neighboring county leagues. Then, with the hard work of the state league in the early days of the pandemic, local members were invigorated to rejoin the Fond du Lac County Tavern League.

“Some bar owners became members following COVID-19 because of the mere fact that the league filed the amicus brief to get us back open,” says KC. “Bar and restaurant owners see the difference the Tavern League can have.”

The Egles, who live in Fond du Lac County, but own Curve In Bar in Kewaskum in neighboring Washington County, also give due credit to Deb Sabel of RamJets in the city of Fond du Lac. “She did her darnedest to ensure that the county league never went completely away. She managed the books, and attended conventions and caucuses on her own for the whole county.”

When Vinny started coordinating the resurrection of the county league, he says he made it clear he wasn’t coming in to take over. Instead, he says he wanted to help carry the load with the assistance of other Fond du Lac County establishment owners who had remained members of neighboring county leagues. “Deb is to be commended for her persistence in keeping the seed of the Fond du Lac County Tavern League nourished until there was enough interest in seeing it grow again,” say the Egles.

As the Fond du Lac County Tavern League continues to build its roots, it’s also working to determine what the most profitable fundraiser for the area would be. In the meantime, local establishments have been raising funds on their own until the league is ready to coordinate a bigger event.

Through the independent work of members, the league was able to support various local groups, including the Fond du Lac City Fire Department for education materials for Fire Prevention Week at the elementary schools in the area; the Fond du Lac County K-9 Unit; the St. Cloud Fire Department; and the USA Patriots Amputee Softball Team. Some initiatives additionally received matching funds through the state.

Building on the previous efforts of local owners, the Fond du Lac County Tavern League hosted its first league event, a golf outing at Rolling Meadows Golf Course in Fond du Lac with over 16 four-person teams in mid-July. Local distributors were “extremely generous with their donations,” says Vinny. Some distributors participated with a team, a hole sponsorship or samples along the course.

As evidenced by his increasing commitment to the organization, Vinny is passionate about the Tavern League and the Egles are delighted to see it thrive again in Fond du Lac. “The TLW continues to assist members in the pursuit that our government upholds the letter of the law in Chapter 125 and of the three-tier system as they were intended,” says Vinny. “Going to meetings and getting involved, we as an organization can have a huge impact when we come together. One voice can be strong, but a football stadium full of people, even at a whisper, can be mighty.” TLW

“Going to meetings and getting involved, we as an organization can have a huge impact when we come together. One voice can be strong, but a football stadium full of people, even at a whisper, can be mighty.”