Northwestern Bank has made a $225,000 donation to help establish a new Boys & Girls Club facility in Chippewa Falls.

Since being established in Chippewa Falls in 2012, the Boys & Girls Club has rented space in the Chippewa Falls Museum of Industry and Technology, with the capacity to serve up to 80 kids.

“The Club quickly outgrew the Museum space, and we’ve been looking for a new home for years. We were very glad to hear about the availability of the Masonic Lodge. It is in a great location near parks and schools, and is easy for Club families and kids to access,” stated Jamie Liebrandt, Market President for Northwestern Bank and Chippewa Falls Boys & Girls Club Advisory Council member.

The Boys & Girls Club has been renting a portion of the Masonic Lodge at 650 Bridgewater Avenue since June 2021.

“The new location is wonderful for Club kids and programs because it has great outdoor space, which we’ve never had before. The kids use it year-round. The facility has large open spaces that are perfect for programming. We’re very grateful for the incredible community support from Northwestern Bank and others that has made this dream a reality,” said Mollie Hogan, Center Director for the Chippewa Falls Boys & Girls Club.

Northwestern Bank President Jerry Jacobson is a former Board member for the Boys & Girls Club of the Greater Chippewa Valley who helped to establish the Club in Chippewa Falls and has been a long time supporter of the Club. “We always talk about return on investment in banking. In my mind, there is no greater return on investment than to invest in the lives of kids. Everything that the Club does helps them to be better citizens, better neighbors, better employees, and to build strong families of their own,” stated Jacobson.

The Boys & Girls Club has set a $3.5 million goal to purchase and renovate the facility and construct an addition with a gym space and Teen program areas. When complete the facility will have the capacity to serve at least 200 Club kids daily, ages 2nd to 12th grades. Currently more than $2.6 million has been raised.