The Boys & Girls Club of Portage County opened a new door to the children of the Rosholt Community Tuesday, Sept. 1.

In early 2015, Rosholt parent and Rosholt community member Catherine Kostuch contacted the Boys & Girls Club of Portage County to inquire about the possibility of a Boys & Girls Club program in Rosholt.

With guidance and support from the leadership of the Boys & Girls Club, a Rosholt Steering Committee was formed comprised of a number of parent volunteers and school district staff, tasked with the mission of exploring the project further.

Through numerous visits with community and business leaders, several planning meetings, and collecting feedback from community members during parent/teacher conferences and a community survey – there became great potential of having a Boys & Girls Club program in Rosholt.

The Rosholt community filled out 105 surveys last spring and 95 percent of the survey participants indicated there was a need for a Boys & Girls Club in Rosholt. While 86 percent of the participants indicated they would help financially support the Club programming through donations.

Children in Rosholt need a safe place to go after school while parents are working, trying hard to make ends meet. Through a Boys & Girls Club program, kids are involved in positive activities that are fun, educational, enriching, all while under the supervision of caring and trained adult role models.

Due to a unanimous vote of support by the Rosholt School Board July 15 and pledges made by the United Way of Portage County, Community First Bank, Rosholt School PTO, the Stingers Booster Club, Wisconsin Public Service and private donors along with programming space from the Rosholt School District, they were able to open a new location for the start of the school year.

Two of the major contributors to this project are the United Way of Portage County and Community First Bank.

In addition to already funding the existing Almond-Bancroft and Teen Center Boys & Girls Club sites, United Way gave $20,000 to fund the new Rosholt Club site. Community First Bank also donated $10,000 to help the Boys & Girls Club open their new site.

“We are so thankful and appreciative for all the donations given to fund this project. We are thrilled to be able to expand our program and share the Boys & Girls Club experience with the Rosholt Community,” said Kevin Quevillon, executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of Portage County.

The Boys & Girls Club Rosholt Extension will operate Monday through Thursday after school until 6 p.m. and will serve first- through eighth-grades.

With memberships at $10 per child or $25 per family, the new club has been able to enroll more than 65 Club members and serving daily, on average, 35 Club members.

This site is well on its way to becoming a key community organization that will help kids and family in Rosholt, said Brittany Melby, Boys and Girls Club director of Development and Marketing.

For more information regarding the Boys & Girls Club of Portage County or the Rosholt extension, call 715-341-4386, email [email protected], visit the website at www.bgclubpc.org or follow the Club on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bgclubpc.