Friends of the Jaycee Park

05/19/2026

Big news for Brodhead!

Green County Development Corporation and Brodhead Jaycees Awarded State Grant for Inclusive Brodhead Splash Pad

$192,500 Non-State Grant from Gov. Evers Brings ADA-Accessible, No-Cost Recreation to Southern Wisconsin

BRODHEAD, Wis. — The Green County Development Corporation (GCDC), in partnership with the Brodhead Jaycees, has been awarded $192,500 through the Wisconsin Department of Administration’s Non-State Grant Program to bring a fully
inclusive, ADA-accessible splash pad to Jaycee Park in Brodhead, Wisconsin. The grant was announced by Governor Tony Evers as part of a $50 million investment in community development projects across the state and passed final approval by the
Wisconsin State Building Commission on May 13, 2026.

Located at 300 4th Street in Brodhead, the Jaycee Park Inclusive Splash Pad & Revitalization Project will transform an outdated park space into a modern, interactive water play facility featuring sensory-friendly elements and barrier-free access — all at no cost to users. The total project cost is $500,000, with the Brodhead Jaycees having already raised over $280,000 in private contributions from residents, businesses, and civic organizations.

“This splash pad has been a community dream for years, and this grant makes it a reality,” said Katie Porterfield of the Brodhead Jaycees. “For families in Brodhead, especially those with limited incomes or children with disabilities, having a free, safe,
and inclusive place to play right here at home means everything. We are grateful to Governor Evers and the Department of Administration for recognizing the need and investing in our community.”

“The Brodhead Jaycees have done extraordinary work building community support for this project, and this grant is a testament to that dedication,” said Olivia Otte of the Green County Development Corporation. “Investments like this splash pad strengthen
quality of life and help rural communities like Brodhead compete and thrive. We’re proud to have supported this group effort.”

Beyond recreation, the splash pad is expected to strengthen Brodhead’s regional appeal as a destination, drawing visitors from surrounding communities to support local restaurants, shops, and businesses. Construction is expected to be completed by
Spring 2027.

About the Green County Development Corporation
The Green County Development Corporation is a nonprofit economic development organization dedicated to strengthening businesses, communities, and quality of life across Green County, Wisconsin. GCDC provides resources and support for economic
growth, community development, and grant assistance to local organizations and municipalities. For more information, visit greencountydevelopment.com.

About the Brodhead Jaycees
The Brodhead Jaycees are a volunteer-driven nonprofit civic organization with more than 50 years of community service in Brodhead, Wisconsin. The Jaycees lead community development initiatives, fundraising efforts, and youth programming, and
have raised over $280,000 in private contributions toward the Jaycee Park Inclusive Splash Pad project. For more information, contact [email protected], call (608) 921-1199 or visit our website brodheadjaycees.com.

03/28/2026

Calling on Brodhead for help with the Splash pad fundraising!

Do you live in Brodhead or a surrounding community and would like to have access to a fully accessible play space for your child or family to utilize?

The Jaycees are looking for community members who are willing to write a letter of support for our grant application packets! We just need 2-4 paragraphs discussing how an accessible splash pad, playground and park would benefit you or your family. The more letters of support we have addressing the need for this in our community and how it will benefit everyone using it, the more likely we are to be successful in securing grants!

Letters can be emailed to [email protected]. Please share this post with anyone who you think may be interested in helping! Questions can be sent to Katie at the same email address, or sent through the Brodhead Jaycees page. Thank you!

04/23/2025

Help us raise money for the splash pad!

03/26/2025

Help us reach our fundraising deadline!

03/20/2025

Mark your calendars! 🐰🥚💐⚘️🌳

03/18/2025

Thank you to everyone in the community that helped make this event possible!

The Brodhead Jaycees would like to thank The Morse Group for their incredible generosity and presenting sponsorship of our recent dueling pianos splash pad fundraiser! Due to the amazing community support we received, we were able to raise over $6,000 to contribute to the splash pad fund.

We would also like to thank the following businesses for their partnership in this event:

Supporting sponsors: Jeremy Pinnow & Associates, Inc, Alter Metal Recycling - Monroe and Turke & Steil LLP

Silent Auction Sponsors: Arn's Auto Service, Design Electric, Castle Cleaning LLC, and The Nurturing Tree Early Learning Academy

Silent Auction Donors: Mike and Jenny Krause of Sugar River Apiaries, Decatur Dairy, Peder Johanson of Portage point, A Simple Life Homegoods, Pleasant Prairie Greenhouse / Urban Landscaping, The Bank of New Glarus, Melissa P Photography Brodhead, WI New Account, Bridges Bar & Grill, Jerrica Schwartz of JS Designs, Samantha Hart The Barber of Hart & Blade barbershop, 608 The Factory, Michael & Kristin Oellerich, Green County Family YMCA, Campbell's Piggly Wiggly, Kid Connection/Albrecht Elementary PTO, Brodhead Health & Fitness

We would also like to thank Ludlow Mansion Events for hosting our event, Knute's Bar and Grill for catering and donating to our cause, Melissa Popanz for photographing the event, and of course Piano Fondue for the incredible entertainment!

Without the support of these businesses and community members, this fundraiser would not have been possible. Thank you!

03/13/2025

Head to the Bank tomorrow to support the splash pad!

PI(E) FOR A PURPOSE is tomorrow, don't miss out! 🥧
Join us at Bank of Brodhead on March 14th from 3-4:30 to toss a pie and help raise funds for the Brodhead Splash Pad.

💰 Donation Levels:
$20 – Pie Mike Olson (President & CEO of Bank of Brodhead)
$10 – Pie Kellie Wand, Stacia Rieff, or Paige Blair

We look forward to seeing you there.

06/02/2024

🚨Raffle winner post🚨

All but 3 winners were present to claim their baskets and the 50/50 winnings today! The remaining winners have been contacted as they had their info listed on their tickets.

Thank you to everyone who came and supported our event today!! I will post more once I have gotten some sleep 😅 but I just wanted to say thank you to all of the volunteers and supporters today. It was an amazing day despite the weather 🌊❤️