July 9, 2020 at 5:08 p.m.
YMCA of Northwoods kicks off $2 million campaign
Goal is to fund new gymnasium, pavilion at main building
YMCA of Northwoods kicks off $2 million campaign
According to YMCA of the Northwoods CEO Ryan Zietlow, the funds raised will go toward expanding the present building with a new attached 8,000-square-foot gymnasium and a large outdoor pavilion that will host summer camp activities.
Zietlow said the Y is committed to "nurturing the potential of kids, promoting healthy living and fostering a sense of social responsibility."
"The Y makes sure that every individual has access to the essential needs needed to learn, grow and thrive," Zietlow said. "To accomplish this, we must listen, listen to the needs of our community."
In 2018, the Y started working on a strategic plan to determine future needs, Zietlow explained. This was followed by a community needs assessment and additional dialogue with the community.
"We listened, and we heard," Zietlow said. "Child care, youth and teens, adults and seniors all face challenges that the YMCA is committed to face with the support of our community. The result of all that work is bringing us here today. We know it is time for your YMCA to evolve and shift to shape our future impact for generations to come."
Dr. Judy Pagano, capital campaign chair, said the group had already raised $1.3 million of the amount needed prior to the formal kick off.
"The capital campaign really focuses on youth in four different ways," Pagano said. "One is child care, which is what we have here. The second will be developing our field behind the Y for our summer and day camp children. The third will be adding on a gymnasium which is going to be aimed not only at pickleball, but also gymnastics and the fourth is going to be making our Y a 24/7 institution."
She said the new Youth Development Center was the result of the generosity of an individual from Ohio who has a summer home in the area. This individual purchased the former elementary school and donated it to the Y. She also thanked the individual donors who were able to attend the ceremony.
Of the $1.3 million already raised, "that is without any corporate donors whatsoever, it is individual donors," she noted.
Pagano said the Youth Development Center is utilizing a building that has been empty that was rehabed by local construction companies using locally sourced materials.
"It will about double our child care capacity from 60 to 120," Pagano said, adding that the needs assessment showed that child care was one of the primary needs for economic development in the area.
When completed, the center will be a state-of-the-art facility geared to address the needs of children between the ages of 6 weeks and 5-years-old, Zietlow added.
He said the center will impact the development of youth in the community for generations to come.
"This space will allow us to expand our work with children," Zietlow said. "Conversations are already underway on how to bring further enrichments in early learning. Picture additional art, music and cultural enrichment right in our early learning setting. Partnerships and collaborations will continue to be the way we move forward."
He said the Y is expanding its child care capability at a very challenging time for parents.
"It is all about supporting families as we navigate these uncertain times," Zietlow said.
With the addition of the new gymnasium and the pavilion, along with the new center, the YMCA will be positioned to serve the residents of the area for years to come, he added.
"It may seem like brick and mortar, but what truly lies underneath is the opportunity to grow that is now endless," Zietlow said. "We are able to eliminate internal space constraints that we face and offer much needed impactful, affordable programing to our community."
Shane Sparks, the immediate past president of the YMCA of the Northwoods Board of Directors, said the goal of the expansion project is to help strengthen the lives of all Rhinelander community members.
"The Y has been a strong pillar of this community since it has been built," Sparks said. "But as our community needs change, so too must our Y. These projects, as you heard, are directly responsive to our community needs. These projects will have the ability to directly impact every single member of our community. From babies in child care to kids in summer camp to teens practicing gymnastics to swing shift workers with flex schedules to active older adults who have their instruction class and then enjoy their coffee afterwards together."
Zietlow said the COVID-19 pandemic will most likely have an impact on the capital campaign, making it hard to set a deadline for its end. He did say the construction won't get underway until the $2 million goal has been reached, but it is hoped that once construction does start that everything behind the present building can be built at one time.
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