HISTORY
1994
The Boys & Girls Club of the Wisconsin Rapids Area was established by a group of volunteers who sought to find a permanent solution for providing a safe and positive after-school program within the community. The Club was first formed in a trailer to transport
supplies twice each week.
March 1995
We opened a site on the 3rd floor of the Elk's Club.
Dave Krause was the Club's first Executive Director, Phil Brown was Board President. Membership fees were $5/year or $0.50/day. The site ran Monday through Friday from
3-6 pm. They later received a grant to run a
Saturday program.
September 1995
A second location was opened in Nekoosa. This program ran on Monday evenings after school.
June 1999
We relocated our main site to the Baker Drive location.
2001
The Club received an $11,000 grant from Community Foundation of South Wood County and a matching grant from the Wood County Funding Consortium to
transport children from Vesper, Rudolph,
and Mead schools to Club after school.
September 2001
School Outreach Programs started at
the following locations:
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Mead Elementary: Monday - Friday
Alexander Middle School: Monday
Rudolph Elementary: Tuesday
Vesper Elementary: Wednesday
Grant Elementary: Thursday
December 2001
We expanded our Outreach Program and opened a site at Port Edwards Elementary on Thursday evenings.
September 2006
The Boys & Girls Club of the Wisconsin Rapids Area along with other afterschool programs in the area received a $5,000 grant from JC Penney After School program to help provide programs for about 100 children
in Wisconsin Rapids.
2009
The Club received a $115,000 grant from Mead Witter Foundation to expand the Teen Center and
technology center at Baker Drive site.
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January 2009
Expanded programming began at our Nekoosa site includng a full size gym along with a computer lab. Programming was available Monday through Friday
from 2:45-7pm.
June 2009
The Baker Drive location opened the teen center,
"The Club". They began a Junior Staff program to help teen members prepare for their futures.
2013
We relocated our main site to the Pitsch Center.
October 2019
The Boys & Girls Club of the Wisconsin Rapids Area celebrated their 25th Anniversary.
March - June 2020
The Club received a $5,000 gift from the Delta Dental of Wisconsin Foundation. This support helped us to distribute 8,000 meals to children in our community during the COVID-19 Safer at Home order.
June 2020
We relocated our main site to a brand new building with the South Wood County YMCA.
