NEW Community Center Grand Opening Tuesday, December 3rd 3PM-7PM

Join Us As We Celebrate

the Grand Opening of the New Community Center!

December 3, 2024

3 to 7 p.m. with Dedication Ceremony at 4 p.m.

520 McKinley St, Waupun, WI

City of Waupun Celebrates the Grand Opening of a New Community Center

On Tuesday, December 3, 2024, the City of Waupun will celebrate the dedication and grand opening of the Waupun Community Center, located at 520 McKinley Street with an open house from 3 to 7 p.m. planned that day.  A brief dedication ceremony will be held at 4 p.m., with light refreshments, door prizes, and tours planned.  The public is invited and encouraged to attend.

Construction of the $5.8M Waupun Community Center was supported in part by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that provided a $4.9M grant awarded to the City of Waupun via the Wisconsin Department of Administration by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and by more than $1M in private donor contribution.  The 22,000 square foot facility houses dedicated nutrition and programming areas as well as meeting, health consult and fitness rooms, and a regulation-sized gymnasium.  According to Rachel Kaminski, Recreation Program Director for the city, “the facility helps fulfill our mission to provide recreation, health, social and educational programs and services to residents to help them live well across their lifespan.”  The Waupun Senior Center began operations within the facility on October 21, 2024.  Partner organizations and tenants include the Waupun Area Food Pantry and REACH Waupun.  Kaminiski noted, “including both REACH and the Waupun Food Pantry in the space increases access to supports our seniors need, while allowing for some unique intergenerational programming that benefits old and young alike.”

In 2018, the city formed a partnership with SSM Health/Waupun Memorial Hospital and was one of three Wisconsin communities awarded planning and then implementation grants by the UW School of Nursing through the Cargill Foundation to examine aging in rural communities.  According to Kathy Schlieve, city administrator, “the work from those grants resulted in the formation of the Waupun Community Coalition on Aging.  The vision for this type of facility was defined by Coalition members and we would not have achieved this milestone without their commitment.”  Schlieve went on to thank the WI Dept of Administration for their support of the city’s grant application, and corporate sponsors of the project.  “The ARPA grant was a significant achievement to underwrite this project, but the combined contributions of our generous donors provides the remaining funding needed to realize our vision.  Our corporate partners are difference makers in this community, and we greatly appreciate their generosity.”  Sponsors of the facility include:

• $750,000 facility and gymnasium sponsorship contributed by the National Exchange Bank Foundation, and the Barbara and Peter Stone Family Foundation.
• $125,000 community room sponsorship contributed by Michael Werner of Werner Harmsen.
• $125,000 fitness center sponsorship contributed by SSM Health and Agnesian Healthcare Foundation.
• $30,000 donation from past and current senior center members.
• $10,000 meeting room sponsorship from FVSBank.
• $3,000 sponsorship from the Medical Executive Committee of Waupun Memorial Hospital.

The facility is further supported by a number of personal donations given in memory of a loved one, and/or to support specific needs within the facility.   Schlieve closed by adding, “we hope to see everyone in the community attend the open house.  This is a first of its kind facility in Waupun and will serve our residents for generations to come.”  Additional information about the open house can be found by visiting cityofwaupunwi.gov or by calling the Community Center at 920.324.7930.