Tom and Judy Sleik named 2026 Forever Friends Award recipients
June 4, 2026
| By La Crosse Area Community Foundation |
La Crosse Area Community Foundation honors lifelong commitment to community and giving
Tom and Judy Sleik have spent a lifetime showing up for their community — a commitment now being recognized.
La Crosse Area Community Foundation has named the Sleiks as its 2026 Forever Friends Award recipients. The award honors individuals who have made lasting contributions to the community and have included the foundation in their estate plans, ensuring their generosity continues for years to come.
For the Sleiks, giving back was never a single decision. It was shaped early and carried forward over decades.
“I think both of our sets of parents were of that same mind,” Judy Sleik said. “Volunteer, get involved, find out what’s going on. And I think that’s pretty much how it happened for us.”
That mindset has guided a lifetime of service. Judy, a retired teacher, was involved with organizations including the Children’s Home (now Family & Children’s Center), Girl Scouts, and local arts and historical groups. Tom, a retired attorney and former State Bar of Wisconsin president, held leadership roles with Boy Scouts, United Way, La Crosse Area Community Foundation, and the La Crosse Public Library, where he served for 36 years, including a decade as board president. Together, they have supported and participated in efforts such as Aptiv, Oktoberfest, where they served as Festmaster and Frau, and the La Crosse Public Education Foundation.
Their professional experiences also shaped how they give. Judy Sleik saw unmet needs among students and families in the classroom, while Tom encountered similar challenges through his work in family law.
“I saw abused children. I saw abused spouses. I saw needs not being met at all,” Tom Sleik said. “You see an awful lot of things where you would like to help make a different outcome.”
Those experiences led the Sleiks to focus their philanthropy on meeting basic needs and expanding opportunity. In 2013, they established an endowed designated fund through La Crosse Area Community Foundation that supports organizations including the Salvation Army, Wafer Food Pantry, La Crosse Public Library, La Crosse Public Education Foundation, and St. Clare Health Mission.
“There are so many fabulous things to give to,” Judy Sleik said. “But we’ve kind of narrowed it down to what we felt were the most basic and important things — food, education, shelter, health care, learning.”
Their commitment extends beyond their lifetime. By including the foundation in their estate plans, the Sleiks have ensured their fund will continue to grow and give well into the future.
When asked why, Tom Sleik didn’t hesitate. “Are you kidding? This community has been so good to us.”
Judy Sleik agreed. “We’ve really benefited from living here,” she said. “And we want other people to thrive here, too.”
Their belief in the power of community is not abstract. It’s something they’ve seen up close, from the school pantry where Judy Sleik taught to St. Clare Health Mission, where she volunteered. The impact looked different in each place, but it was no less real. Moments like those have reinforced what they’ve long believed: giving doesn’t have to be grand to matter.
“I really think what we’re doing is modest,” Tom Sleik said. “But it’s an expression of what we can do that I hope is meaningful.”
That perspective extends to how they think about generosity more broadly. For those who feel like giving is out of reach, their advice is simple.
“There are levels of giving that are meaningful for everyone,” Tom Sleik said. “It doesn’t have to be a large amount.”
Judy Sleik pointed to people who give their time instead.
“I have a friend who organizes volunteers for the Salvation Army Red Kettle,” she said. “She takes great pleasure in doing that, and I think she does a lot by doing it. That’s a pretty nice gift.”
In a community like La Crosse, they say, those contributions add up.
It’s that spirit — of showing up, of giving what you can, of investing in the place you call home — that defines the Forever Friends Award, said Megan Pierce, donor services director at La Crosse Area Community Foundation.
“Tom and Judy Sleik have spent decades investing in this community — not just through their generosity, but through their time, leadership, and understanding of what people need to thrive,” Pierce said. “They have approached giving with intention and humility, and their decision to create a lasting legacy through the foundation ensures their impact will continue for generations.”
For Tom and Judy Sleik, the recognition is not something they set out to earn. It’s simply how they’ve chosen to live.
And over time, it’s made a lasting difference.