What is new for Northwoods Drifter in 2026
The Boys and Girls Club of the Northwoods in Antigo just landed a game-changer: a $1 million federal grant to build a brand-new facility. For hundreds of Langlade County kids who depend on the Club’s programs, it means trading cramped quarters and drafty hallways for purpose-built spaces designed with them in mind.
CEO Dillon Gretzinger has watched the organization outgrow its historic building — a former teachers college that’s served the community well but can’t keep up with modern needs. “Our current building is nice and we’ve used it very efficiently throughout the years,” he told WJFW. “But it is an older building. It’s costly to keep up.”
The new facility will combine the main clubhouse and teen center under one roof, creating a more efficient space for the programs that serve over 660 kids across the organization’s Antigo and Rhinelander locations.
Walk into the Antigo Club on a January afternoon and you’ll understand the challenge. The building — which trained Langlade County teachers for nearly 50 years before becoming a youth center — struggles with inefficient heating that sends utility bills through the roof every winter.
Safety is another concern. The layout makes it tough for staff to keep visual contact with kids spread throughout multiple floors and narrow hallways. Wasted space in old classrooms means programs can’t expand, even as demand grows.
“It’s hard to have kids within sight at all times,” Gretzinger explained. “We also have a lot of wasted space in the building.”
The planned building represents a complete rethink of how the Club serves Northwoods youth. Instead of repurposing old classrooms, the new space will feature rooms designed from scratch for specific activities.
Before and after school, kids get help with homework and meals. During summer, the Club keeps math and science skills sharp so students start the school year ahead instead of playing catch-up. The new building will let staff expand these programs without bumping into walls.
Here’s the reality check: that million-dollar grant is just the starting point. Gretzinger estimates the full project will cost around $5 million, meaning the Club needs to raise another $4 million through community donations.
It’s a big ask in a county of roughly 19,000 people, but Gretzinger frames it as an investment in tomorrow’s leaders. “The kids in our community today, they’re going to be the mayors of tomorrow,” he said. “The county board members, the school superintendents, teachers, CEOs of the Boys and Girls Club.”
The organization has been working for a couple years with Senator Tammy Baldwin’s office on the congressional funding application. That patience paid off, but now comes the harder part — convincing local businesses and families to pitch in for the rest.
“The kids in our community today, they’re going to be the mayors of tomorrow. The county board members, the school superintendents, teachers, CEOs.” — Dillon Gretzinger
The Antigo Club started back in 2000 serving just 109 kids in its first year. Today, the renamed Boys and Girls Clubs of the Northwoods operates in both Antigo and Rhinelander, registering over 660 members annually and touching the lives of more than 2,660 youth.
That expansion to Rhinelander in 2020 reflected the organization’s broader mission across the Northwoods region. The name change from Boys & Girls Club of Langlade County signaled an ambition to serve more communities where youth programs remain scarce.
In rural areas like Langlade and Oneida counties, these clubs fill critical gaps. Working families need safe, affordable places for kids after school and during summer. The alternative — kids home alone or unsupervised — creates risks no parent wants to think about.
Gretzinger says more details will emerge as planning progresses, but the timeline depends partly on fundraising success. Building in the Northwoods isn’t cheap — cold-climate construction requires serious insulation, heating systems that can handle sub-zero stretches, and materials that stand up to freeze-thaw cycles.
The good news? The community has already proven it supports this work. From that initial group of 109 kids to nearly 700 today, the Club’s growth shows parents trust the programs and kids benefit from them.
Now it’s about turning that trust into tangible support — donations, volunteer hours, construction expertise, whatever folks can contribute. The new building won’t just house programs; it’ll signal that Northwoods communities invest in their young people even when budgets are tight and winters are long.
For families in Antigo wondering how to help, or just curious about the Club’s impact, reach out through the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Northwoods website. Every bit moves those kids closer to a space they deserve — one built for them, not repurposed from another era.
Written by
Mike has been coming up or living in the Northwoods since his childhood. He is also an avid outdoorsman, writer and supper club aficionado.
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