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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.

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Elk's Club Site

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.

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Baker Drive

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.

BGC Transport
Mead 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.

Port Edwards Site
Baker Drive

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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Nekoosa Gym

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.

Teen Cener
Pitsch Center

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. 

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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.

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June 2020

We relocated our main site to a brand new building with the South Wood County YMCA.

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Be Part of Our Legacy

The Boys & Girls Club is excited to be celebrating a major milestone of serving youth in our community for 30 years this year. Our before/after school and partner programs serve over 1,300 young people and provide our members with an opportunity to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens.

June 2024

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