On Friday, June 1 the John E Alexander South Wood County YMCA and the Boys and Girls Club of Wisconsin Rapids will hold a special event to kick off the public phase of their Building Futures Together capital campaign. This campaign will fund the construction of a new, innovative facility which will house both organizations. The press conference will be held at 4:30 p.m. at the future site of the new facility, the former Rapids Mall. Exciting updates regarding the project will be shared and the public campaign will be launched.
“At this time, we are seeking support from the community to help address sustainability and expand some of the planned program spaces,” said Kurt Heuer, Building Futures Together Campaign Co-Chair. “Through the incredible generosity of individuals, foundations and corporations, we are close to reaching our goal.”
The affiliation of the former Riverview Hospital Association with Aspirus generated a generous contribution to this project of $5 million. This tremendous donation helped gain momentum and support for the campaign. “This is about much more than just a building. This campaign has demonstrated the power of collaboration and partnership,” said Todd Burch, Aspirus Riverview Hospital & Clinics CEO. “This is a huge win for our community both in the programming that will be available as well as the statement it makes about who we are and what we are capable of doing.”
Funding raised in the community phase will also support the long term sustainability and growth of the two organizations, by funding future programs and operational needs. Each organization is creating an endowment fund that will provide funding into perpetuity.
“I cannot understate the importance of building endowments for these cornerstone organizations. Giving to an endowment is an investment not only in the future of the YMCA and Boys and Girls Club, it is also an investment in the future of our community.” said Phil Brown, Building Futures Together Campaign Co-Chair.
The proposed facility will be a combination of renovated and newly constructed spaces encompassing approximately 93,000 square feet. It will house both organizations and provide synergies along with numerous opportunities with surrounding service providers. The project is on pace to begin construction late summer of 2018.
If you would like to learn more about the Building Futures Together Capital Campaign, individuals can visit the website at https://app.southwoodymca.org/. To make a contribution, please call 715.818.6017. Contributions can be made as a one-time gift or by distributing payments over a period of up to five years.
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About John E. Alexander South Wood County YMCA
The YMCA has been serving South Wood County since 1957. The Y is the place to go for family events, activities, and fun. Annually, more than 15,000 individuals participate in YMCA programs and services where no one is ever turned away for an inability to pay. The Y offers more than 100 programs for everyone from toddlers to active older adults. In addition, the YMCA runs seven before and after school programs that serve nearly 200 families in the community. During the summer, YMCA Camp Alexander offers the opportunity for 500 young people to experience the joys of day and resident camp. You can find more information at swcymca.org.
About Boys & Girls Club of the Wisconsin Rapids Area
The Boys & Girls Club of the Wisconsin Rapids Area provides before and after-school programming for youth ages 6-18 in Wisconsin Rapids, Nekoosa and Port Edwards. The mission of Boys & Girls Club is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Boys & Girls Club focuses programming efforts on three key outcome areas: Academic Success, Good
Character and Citizenship, and Health Lifestyles. The Club serves over 2,100 youth throughout South Wood County each year through membership and additional outreach programs for non-members. Learn more by visiting bgcwra.org and facebook.com/bgcwra. The Boys & Girls Club is a proud partner of the United Way of Inner Wisconsin.