What is new for Northwoods Drifter in 2026
In a small community along Highway 17, a 13-year-old baker is proving that sweetness can emerge from the most bitter grief. Julia Skaar has spent the last four years turning her Gleason kitchen into a production line of hope, one cupcake at a time.
What started as a young girl’s way to process unimaginable loss has become a powerful tradition. Since 2022, Julia and her family have raised over $18,000 for first responders and community organizations through cupcake sales — a living memorial to her brother Ian, who was killed by a drunk driver when he was just eight years old.
This year alone, the Skaars raised $7,800. That’s a lot of frosting, and even more heart.
Julia was only 10 when tragedy struck her family in September 2022. Her brother Ian, a wrestling enthusiast with a caring spirit, died in a crash that shattered the Skaar household.
But Julia loved to bake. And in that kitchen, surrounded by mixing bowls and measuring cups, she found a way forward.
“It’s kind of a healing opportunity,” her father Tom Skaar explained. “And give back to the community that gave us so much support through that time.”
Each year, Julia bakes thousands of cupcakes — selling them four at a time for $15. The orders flood in from neighbors, tourists passing through on their way to Lincoln County‘s trout streams, and supporters from across northern Wisconsin who’ve heard the story.
Tom admits they weren’t prepared for the response. “I don’t think any of us were really prepared for the amount of cupcakes that were ordered the first year or every year after,” he said. “We’re just blown away by the support.”
The Skaars don’t just bake to remember Ian. They bake to support the people who were there when their world collapsed.
Over four years, fundraiser proceeds have benefited:
In rural Northwoods communities like Gleason, first responders are often volunteers. Aspirus Merrill Hospital sits about 15 miles southwest, serving 28,000 Lincoln County residents spread across forests, lakes, and two-lane highways where help can be miles away.
These aren’t faceless institutions. They’re neighbors. The Skaars know that better than most.
Gleason isn’t on most Wisconsin maps. This unincorporated community of roughly 2,000 people sits tucked along Highway 17, northeast of Merrill in the heart of Lincoln County.
It’s a place where everyone knows everyone. Where the median age hovers around 50, and folks drive everywhere because there’s nowhere close to walk. Where tourism brings in fishing families in summer and snowmobilers in winter, but the year-round community stays small and tight-knit.
“It’s really touching how far money comes from and it just shows people care.” — Leah Skaar
When tragedy hits a family here, the community doesn’t just send thoughts and prayers. They order cupcakes. They donate. They show up.
Leah Skaar, Julia’s mother, sees that support flowing in every year. People from across the region — some who’ve never met the Skaars — place orders because they understand what it means to lose someone on these rural roads.
Ian Skaar loved wrestling. He loved his family. At just eight years old, he was already the kind of kid people remembered — caring, enthusiastic, present.
Tom believes his son would be proud of what his sister has built. “You know he was a caring young man, and yeah, he would’ve loved to see this,” he said.
Julia’s fundraiser isn’t just about raising money. It’s about keeping Ian’s spirit alive in a tangible way — through service, through community, through showing up for others the way Gleason showed up for them.
The Skaars plan to continue the tradition every year. As Julia grows older, the fundraiser grows with her — a bittersweet annual reminder that even in the darkest moments, we can choose to create light.
Drunk driving crashes remain a serious threat on northern Wisconsin’s rural highways. Long stretches of road, sparse traffic, and harsh winter conditions create danger zones where a single bad decision can devastate families.
The Skaars’ story is a reminder that those crashes have names, faces, and futures that were stolen. But it’s also a reminder that communities like Gleason have an extraordinary capacity for resilience.
In a region where volunteer first responders stretch thin across vast forested areas, every dollar raised matters. Where small-town EMS crews operate on tight budgets, grassroots fundraisers like Julia’s make a real difference.
And in a place where grief can feel isolating — especially during long Northwoods winters — the Skaars show that turning pain into purpose can heal not just one family, but an entire community.
If you’re driving through Gleason on Highway 17, you might not see a memorial marker or a roadside cross. But somewhere in that quiet community, a teenager is baking. And in those cupcakes, a little boy’s memory lives on.
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.
NewsThe Merrill Ice Drags turn the frozen Wisconsin River into a 1/8-mile drag strip where 14-year-old rookies race V8s against veterans, and competitors hug after beating each other. Six decades of winter tradition prove cabin fever has a cure.
NewsLakeland Union High School brought 150 local businesses and nonprofits together for its first community breakfast, building partnerships to prepare students for careers right here in the Northwoods.
NewsThree Lakes bowler Oren Alsager became the first Rhinelander Co-op athlete to reach state since 2022. His journey from beginner to state qualifier shows what Northwoods dedication looks like.
NewsDNR and tribal fisheries managers explain how treaty rights, spearing quotas, and co-management keep Northwoods lakes healthy for all anglers — with data showing tribal harvest at just 10% annually.