“It is with great excitement that we announce Ron as our new CPO,” said Jen Fisher, Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha Board of Directors President. “Wally Graffen left big shoes to fill here but Ron has been involved with the organization for so many years that we are extremely confident in his new leadership role.”

Stevens’ career history includes lending positions at Bank of Elmwood and Advantage Bank (M&I Bank), and printing, sales, and editing positions at Union Cooperative Publishing Company. Stevens’ current community involvement includes roles with Rotary Club of Kenosha-West and City of Kenosha – Plan Commission. Over the years Stevens has served on committees and/or boards of directors for the following organizations: Kenosha Area Business Alliance, Kenosha Area Chamber of Commerce, Kenosha Common Council, Kenosha History Center, Senior Action Council, Margaret Ann’s Place, Chrysler Transition Team, United Way of Kenosha County, and Holy Rosary Sports Night. He was also a Charter Member of the Kenosha Night at the Brewers Committee.

During his involvement with Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha, Stevens has received the following awards: Outstanding Board Service Award (2003), National Medallion (2004), Wisconsin Area Council Outstanding Volunteer Award (2004), Wisconsin Area Council “Marty Stein” Volunteer Award (2006), and Presidential Volunteer Citation (2006).

Stevens also has several awards from Rotary International. Those include a Lifetime Membership, Paul Harris Fellowship, Service Above Self Award (2004), and Outstanding Kenoshan Award (2011). Other awards include the Living Legend Award (2006) from Mary Lou Mahone Foundation, and the Community Service Award (2005) from Kenosha Area Business Alliance.

Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha has been going through major changes for the past couple of years.

In June of 2011 we opened the doors of our new 80,000 square foot community center. This state-of-the-art building has been recognized throughout the Boys & Girls Club movement as one of the finest structures nationwide. We are not aware of a larger free-standing club. Yes, there are bigger buildings that house clubs, mostly in large metropolitan areas like New York and Chicago. Those are buildings owned by others where the Boys & Girls Club has a presence.

But our building is owned and operated by  Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha. That is unique and something which Kenoshans can take great pride in.

Since we opened, our membership has skyrocketed. If you’ll recall, prior to opening the new building, we had about 5000 members. Now, with the new facility and the programs and partnerships we have been able to offer, our membership has nearly doubled to nearly 9000. That is a huge number of youth benefitting from our services.

Now, our Chief Professional Officer Wally Graffen has announced that he has accepted a new position as a Regional Services Director with Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Our board has long recognized that Wally is a valuable commodity and many of us knew it was only a matter of time until the national organization scooped him up and he moved on to bigger challenges to help other clubs.

The work that Wally Graffen has done in Kenosha with Boys & Girls Club leaves a legacy that will be difficult to replicate. He has big shoes the fill. The board appreciates that and we are putting in place a carefully detailed plan to do a nationwide search that will allow us to get the best person to step in and continue with the success that we have had under Wally’s leadership.

In the meantime, we have asked Ron Stevens to step in as our interim director. Ron has been active with the club, either in a board capacity or on staff, for nearly 20 years. Prior to that, he served for 10 years as Executive Director of the CYC. We are confident that Ron gives us the stability we will need as we go through the search and identify a new full-time exec.

Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha will miss Wally Graffen. He has been such an imposing presence at the club and on behalf of the club in the community that it is difficult to imagine Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha without him. But he will still be active in the movement and available to assist whoever we hire to step in and take the club to the next level.

For now, I would ask all of you to continue to support Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha with your time and with your treasure. This is a challenging time for all nonprofits, with the state of the economy and the increasing need for the services we offer. The Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha is no different. We are going through a transition right now where we are hoping to finish the Capital Funds campaign while, at the same time, increasing our base of support as much as necessary to continue all of the programs under our $2.4 million operating budget. These are significant challenges.

But Wally and the Boards of Directors over the years have laid the foundation for a successful club that requires only that each of us recognize the value of the programs we offer and get involved. Please, as you consider your charity donations this year, keep Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha in mind.

We wish Wally Graffen great success in his new position. We know he will continue to make all his friends in Kenosha proud.

Thank you for keeping Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha as one of your charities of choice in the months ahead.

“Although we are extremely sad to see Wally leave the Executive Director position at Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha, our entire board is grateful for the foundation he has built for our Club. We are very confident in the abilities of our Associate Directors, Ron Stevens and Kathy Cole, to continue operations as normal during this transition period and search for a new Executive Director,” said President of the Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha Board, Jennifer Fisher. Graffen’s last day at Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha is October 26th.

Graffen’s roots run deep in the Boys & Girls Club organization including an upbringing as a club member in Oshkosh, WI, and Youth of Year Award recipient in 1979. Prior to taking the Executive Director position in Kenosha, Wally served as Assistant Executive Director of Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh. In 1993 he was recruited to Kenosha by Dennis Troha to lead the effort of creating a strong and active youth services organization within the city. Wally played a major role in the merger of Christian Youth Council (CYC) and Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha in 2001.

Graffen’s statewide efforts include lobbying for and receiving in excess of $6 million for Wisconsin Boys & Girls Club since 1998. He is also an official instructor on the topics of resource development, board development and CEO mentoring. His achievements include being named to the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh Alumni Hall of Fame in 1999 and named the Midwest Executive Director of the Year in 2002.

Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha

People invest in programs that work. That is not my opinion. That is a statement that reflects years of donations to nonprofits not only here in Kenosha, but nationwide. People want to know that their money is going to be used effectively and efficiently. The Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha is a great example of that.

These past couple of years we have seen the club go through some major changes. We doubled the square footage available for programming when we opened the doors to our new community center a year ago. We also have nearly doubled the number of young lives we are touching with our “Programs That Work.”  We anticipated that it would take about five years to double our membership. Instead, it has happened in a little over one.

This summer the club is offering a variety of programs and the daily attendance is reaching near capacity. Our baseball, softball and t-ball leagues are giving nearly 1000 Kenosha youngsters a chance to play with their classmates and friends.

In addition to the baseball programs, our athletics department has featured a number of camps and classes at the Joseph and Shirley Madrigrano Sports Complex this summer. These include lacrosse, soccer and basketball. We have golf classes at muni and cheerleading and football classes at Rikli Park. Community demand drives what we offer and the program structure is always geared toward both education and recreation. In short, our athletic programs are structured in a way that the participants have fun while learning specific  skills.

The summer drop-in programs at the Natalie and Dennis Troha Youth Center are going strong as well. We have over 200 children at the club every day. They are participating in the many programs local people expect from the “Programs That Work” at the Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha. These include arts and crafts by professional instructors as well as dancing and singing on the Joseph and Kathy Madrigrano Performing Arts Stage.

Our members have enjoyed field trips to the Lincoln Park and Racine zoos, a Brewers game (thanks to the Kenosha Police Department Crime Prevention Unit) and to pick strawberries at a strawberry farm. Members go to the farmers market weekly to pick up produce for the club’s healthy eating programs.

The Old Navy store at Prime Outlets hosted our members at “Camp Old Navy”, where club members were trained in customer service techniques and had a fashion show featuring Old Navy fashions.

The best endorsements of our “Programs That Work” come from the members themselves. Like the high school student who said “I am preparing to go to college and the Boys & Girls Club staff is a vital part of this process. It feels as if they are going with me and that is why I am so confident.”

Or the member who said “Before I came to the club I was hanging outside and just being around the wrong people. I wasn’t doing anything positive until I started coming to the club.”

Another member said “As an African-American young lady I can honestly say the Boys & Girls Club has helped me through this process called life. I am involved in my community with volunteer work and community service. I stay out of trouble and I’m heavily involved in extracurricular activities at school. I am now an athlete and an accomplished flutist.”

Finally, a member who benefited from our programs said “The Boys & Girls Club has been one of the biggest support systems in my life. It doesn’t matter what I’m going through, what kind of help I need. I have always been able to go to the Boys & Girls Club for help.”

The Boys & Girls Club movement nationwide has provided millions of young Americans with opportunities to learn and grow and have fun. Right here in Kenosha, we have one of the biggest and best clubs in the country. If you have a youngster who would benefit from the many programs offered at the Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha, I encourage you to call the center at 654-6200 and get more information on how your child can be involved. Mine have been. I can say from firsthand experience that the Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha truly does offer “Programs That Work.”

Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha

As President of the Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha, I have known for a long time that we have some of the best programs in the nation. Our dedicated program staff is able to use the great resources available through the Boys & Girls Club of America and bring them to our new facility. The program templates are great and the facility is tops, but without the great staff we have working directly with the youth of Kenosha, none of it would work.

We got the first indication that our programs were really taking off when we opened our new facility last June. In our long-range  plan, we anticipated that our membership would double in the first decade in the new building, possibly even in the first five years. We had just over 5000 members when we cut the ribbon last June.

As of today, we are just under 10,000 members. So in less than one year in the new building, we have almost doubled the number of Kenosha children we are reaching. I think that’s phenomenal!

A further indication of the great success we are having is the recognition our club has received statewide and nationally.

In September, our Capital Funds campaign was recognized at the State of Wisconsin Boys & Girls Clubs Area Council Meetings with a first place award in Resource Development. Our Treasurer Mike Worcester joined our Executive Wally Graffen at those meetings to accept the award.

The fact that we have raised over $10 million in a very difficult economy says a lot, not just for the club, but for this community too. The City of Kenosha started us off with a $5 million grant, allowing us to build this great new building rather than renovating  our old facilities. The Troha and Madrigrano families led the way with personal donations, followed by hundreds of other Kenosha individuals and businesses who have stepped up to the plate as well. We still have about $4 million to raise to be debt free after the pledge periods and to have the endowment we anticipated, but there are many naming opportunities still available and we are continually giving tours and meetings with potential community partners. We are very confident that, with the growing support of our community, we will meet and exceed our goal.

The second award we received was really a once in a lifetime recognition. Our new community center was selected by the Daily Reporter construction magazine as one of the “Top Projects in Wisconsin” in 2011. The planning that went into this new building started several years ago. We visited dozens of other facilities and met with everyone from architects to the youth who would be members. The result is a unique facility that we all take pride in. Our Foundation President John Camosy accepted that award at the Harley Museum in Milwaukee on May 3.

And, for the first time ever, the Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha has received two national awards from the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. These awards are especially noteworthy when you consider that the Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha, because of the size of our budget, competes with all of the big cities in America. We go up against Milwaukee, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles – every big city that has a Boys & Girls Club and enters these awards are placed in a budget-driven category that puts them up against us here in Kenosha.

The first one is a National Honor Award, which recognizes outstanding Boys & Girls Club programs. That award is for our “Sports of All Sorts” which encompasses many of our afterschool sports and fitness programs. One of the most noteworthy of those programs is our Wednesday incentive sports leagues. One of those leagues, the Rotary West Basketball League, has been successfully reaching out to inner-city youth ever since our club opened in 1992. This incentive program gives teachers and principals in targeted inner-city elementary schools resources and tools and a fun way to get their students active in reward for improving grades, attendance or behavior in school. Program staff Kathy Holland and Andrea Prichard were at the National Conference in San Diego the first week of May to accept the award.

Finally, we received a national MAC Award from the Boys & Girls Club of America for our marketing efforts when we opened the new building. Specifically, we were recognized in the Advertising Category for the wonderful tabloid insert which we ran in the Kenosha News. This special section gave Kenosha an opportunity to learn about our new building and was also a great way for our many supporters and partners to say “way to go” in the paper.  Our marketing partnership with Dooley & Associates is largely responsible for the award and Jen Dooley, a member of our Board of Directors, was in San Diego at the National Conference, to accept it on behalf of the club.

As you can see, the Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha is having great success in reaching the youth of our community in ways that our peers nationwide are taking notice. We are proud of the staff and we look forward to continuing to grow and deliver great programs for the community for many years.

Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha

The Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha has a lot going on as we approach the summer of 2012.

First and foremost, two important special events are fast approaching.

On April 21, we will have our annual Dairy State Cheese & Beer Festival at the Brat Stop. This event is great fun. Beef Tea and the New Chevelles will be back again this year to provide live music as beer aficionados taste nearly 100 different beers from dozens of breweries. Of course, the Brat Stop’s amazing brats and cheeses are available for purchase as well. Go to www.kenoshabeerfest.com to order tickets. Want to stay overnight at an area hotel? Click on “lodging partners” – the rooms reserved for Dairy State include two free tickets to this event.

On Thursday, May 17 the Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha will be one of the stops for the Green Bay Packers tailgate tour. Tickets will be available at the Boys & Girls Club starting on April 2 on a first-come, first-served basis. Several Packers active and retired players will join Packers President Mark Murphy at the event. For more information, call the Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha at 654-6200.

Several Summer Sports Camps will be held for grades K-8 this summer. These camps include Soccer, Lacrosse, Football, Basketball, All-Sports, and Volleyball. Sign up before June 1 and receive the early bird discount of $20 off the normal camp price. Click here for additional details http://www.bgckenosha.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/SummerSportsCamp_thumbnail-2.jpg

Registration for our baseball/t-ball leagues runs until May 11. The Club has leagues for boys ages 7 through 12 and for girls ages 6 through 17.  More information is available at http://www.bgckenosha.org/sports/baseball-tee-ball/.

Kenoshans considering including the Boys & Girls Club in their will might be interested in the new Planned Giving link on our website. Many people like to leave a legacy through the club and now it is easier than ever to do just that. Click here for more information http://www.bgckenosha.org/planned-giving/

There are many great things happening in Kenosha this summer. The Boys & Girls Club is proud to be part of those activities and we look forward to welcoming even more young people to our programs. If you haven’t been through the new center, stop in anytime. One of our friendly staff members will be happy to give you a tour.

Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha

The Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha hosts several special events during the year. Two very important ones are fast approaching.

Our “Stars For Tomorrow” Youth of the Year & Awards Banquet will be on Wednesday, February 29 at Madrigrano Marina Shores. This event is the one time we are able to put the kids on display.

This is also the event where we announce the winner of our annual Mary Frost-Ashley Patron Saint Award. This individual or family is someone who has been supportive of the Boys & Girls Club for many years. This year we are proud to be honoring Tom and Nancy Laken for their dedication to the club.

Our annual Sports Family of the Year will also be recognized at this banquet. This award goes way back to the years of the CYC. Many, many active Kenosha sports families have received this recognition. This year’s family will be announced at a later date.

The Kenosha Area Noon Optimist Club sponsors the club’s annual Youth of the Year competition. These amazing members recite “what the Boys & Girls Club means to me” and are judged by a panel of board members and other community leaders. The winner is awarded a scholarship from Dennis and Natalie Troha and goes on to compete for Youth of the Year at the state level.  The runners-up get scholarships from Joe and Kathy Madrigrano.

We also recognize Board Members, other community supporters, and volunteers at this event. Be sure to click on the “Stars for Tomorrow” link on this website to get more information and to make reservations.

Then, on April 21, we will once again be holding the annual Dairy State Cheese & Beer Festival at the Brat Stop. This event is great fun. Beef Tea and the New Chevelles will be back again this year to provide live music as nearly 1000 beer aficionados taste nearly 100 different beers from dozens of breweries. Of course, the Brat Stop’s amazing brats and cheeses are available for purchase as well.

These events are ways for supporters of the Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha to support our cause and have a lot of fun at the same time.

Hope to see you there.

by Jen Fisher, President

Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha

As the Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha begins our first new year in our new facility, I want to give you a sense of my priorities as the new President of the Club’s Board of Directors.

I have been on the Board for 5 years and I am constantly amazed at the dedication of the Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha program staff.

We have some of the best professionals in the area of youth services and they are working diligently every day to provide education, character-building, health, arts and recreational programs to as many of Kenosha’s children as possible. The tools we provide, including the great new community center and the programs available from the national Boys & Girls Club movement, make it possible for them to reach your children in a fun and caring environment. Combine all these great resources and you have a recipe for some very effective youth programs.

2012 will certainly be a challenging year. We need to take our Capital Funds Campaign into the new phase so we can end our pledge periods with a club that is debt-free and positioned to concentrate on the youth programming tasks at hand. We have a large number of gift naming opportunities still available. If you or a loved one wish to create a legacy that will reach thousands of Kenosha families, give the club a call. We continue to do dozens of tours every week and every one culminates with more Kenoshans falling in love with our great new facility.

At the same time, we need to be creatively aggressive in protecting the operations revenue sources we have. As government dollars are reduced, more children in need arrive at the club every day. We have great fundraisers throughout the year and many, many opportunities for individuals and businesses to get involved.

We expect great things from the Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha in 2012. I look forward to an exciting year as President of the Board. Please share your ideas with any of our board members.  As we move forward in the months ahead, we want our programs to reflect the priorities of our community. We can only do that with feedback from you.

This is my final blog for the Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha. Effective January 1, I will be turning over the reins of the club to Jen Fisher, our current Vice President.

It would be an understatement to say it has been an eventful and rewarding year for the club. The opening of our new building is just the first step in what I believe will be continuing successes for the club and for the community.

I relinquish the presidency with mixed emotions. I take great pride in being the President during the grand opening festivities. I would like to take credit for everything that happened then. But this project has been in the works for many years.

It would not have been possible without the wisdom and foresight of former Mayor John Antaramian and it would not be the continuing success it is today without the support of current public servants like Mayor Keith Bosman and County Executive Jim Kreuser who co-chair our capital funds campaign.

It goes without saying that the generosity of many Kenoshan is why we reach almost 6000 Kenosha youth. The Troha family and the Madrigrano family continue to lead the way. We are deeply indebted to them for their devotion to the children we serve.

A motivated board of directors – people with a passion to help the youth of Kenosha – is also necessary and we have the best board imaginable. Time and time again the member of the Boys & Girls Club board have stepped forward with their time and treasures to help build positive futures for our very deserving members.

I have one favor to ask as I step down.

I am asking each of you who is capable of helping the club with a donation this year to dig a little deeper. Let’s keep the success of this great new community center moving forward by embracing the programs and the fundraisers the club is sponsoring. Click on the “donate now” button on this website and make a contribution today.  (While you are at it, please check my name under Jennifer Dooley’s Dream Team. Miller’s Magic is nice, but Dooley’s Dream Team rocks!)

As you celebrate with your family this year, please remember the wonderful children who need us at the Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha.

Thanks again and Merry Christmas.

by Rade Dimitrijevic, President

Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha

Thank you to everybody who attended Natalie Troha’s Pride of Kenosha on Friday night. Nearly 600 people had a great time listening to the John Crawford Jazz Band, testing the culinary delights of 17 Kenosha area food vendors and sampling some great wines from Tenuta’s Delicatessen & Liquors. I would be remiss if I did not also thank the many donors who gave the great raffle and silent auction prizes. Herbert’s Jewelers deserves special mention once again for their generous donation of two watches for the grand prizes in the raffle. And, of course, the dozens of volunteers who help make Natalie Troha’s Pride of Kenosha a big success.

This event has become an annual ritual for Kenosha people who look forward to it as a way to kick off their holiday season. It is the brainchild of Natalie Troha and it would not continue to be such a big success without Natalie’s care and direction in overseeing the planning and implementation of everything from the decorations to the raffles and silent auctions. Natalie is one of the kindest and most generous people you could ever hope to meet. Thousands of Kenosha youth have been touched by the generosity of the Troha family. Kenosha is a better place for the devotion they have to making the lives of the underprivileged better.

Speaking of the holidays and reaching out to the underprivileged, the club will be sending out our yearly appeal in the next couple of weeks. This year, besides the mail appeal, many supporters will be receiving the year-end letter electronically. Many people prefer this as a way to donate. There will be a “donate now” option on the electronic appeal.

As you gather with your families this holiday season, I urge all of you to reach out to the needy through the Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha. Many of you have been going to the new facility. I think you would agree that the potential for positive impact on the lives of Kenosha youth is greatly enhanced by having such a wonderful place for our children to go and play and learn. Please be generous this year in supporting the club.

Thank you very much. I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!