Today we’re excited to share incredible news – Governor Evers’ visit to Janesville and his announcement of funding the City of Janesville’s request of $15M for the Woodman’s Center in his capital budget. The Friends would like to thank Governor Evers and his staff, the City of Janesville staff, the City of Janesville City Council, the Janesville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, Forward Janesville, and our many volunteers and donors for their efforts in supporting and helping this request.
The Friends are currently focusing our efforts on the Together We Can campaign, a high-level fellowship initiative with a goal of raising an additional $1M in private funds through the engagement of 100 community donors, each pledging at the $10,000 level. Pledges can be made in full or at $2,000 annually over five years.
In addition to these high-level donor initiatives, gift pledges of any amount are welcome through our Pledge Form. You can also show support for the Woodman's Center by sharing our website, signing up for our newsletter, and interacting with us on our Facebook page. We also encourage sending a letter of support to Janesville City Council or The Janesville Gazette.
Since we launched the Friends Facebook page, we have welcomed 650 followers in just four weeks and reached over 21,000 people. We have had the privilege of bringing you different perspectives from our community. We’ve been able to share updates and critical information about this transformative community project.
Please continue to share this positive news and win for our community. Together We Can.
We wanted to share with you some highlights from today, here's what they're saying:
"With a main arena area and multi-purpose convention, sports, and events spaces that will pull crowds from Madison, Milwaukee, Chicago, and places beyond. That's thousands of people coming to Janesville each year for events, staying in local hotels, eating in local restaurants, and exploring all this community has to offer.” Governor Tony Evers
"The motto of the State of Wisconsin is a simple, yet positively powerful term, Forward. The funding from the State will move this awesome project forward, and this awesome project will move Janesville forward towards being a great community to live, work, and play." Larry Squire, Southcentral Wisconsin Regional President at Johnson Financial Group, Friends of the Woodman's Center member
“We’re proud to be making this investment in Janesville to fully fund the requested amount because it makes financial sense, but it also makes community and human sense, too. While the immediate impact of this future facility may be local, the ripple effect of this historic investment will be felt far and wide.” Secretary-designee Kathy Blumenfeld
"The Woodman's Center is transformational for Janesville and continues an amazing decade of growth and progress here. Cities and states are always rising and falling, if you think you can just tread water and maintain the status quo, you're probably falling behind." Janesville City Council President Paul Benson
“We are grateful for Governor Evers’ support for the Woodman’s Sports & Convention Center project. The Governor clearly recognizes the positive impact this transformational facility will have on Janesville for generations to come. The Jets mission is three-fold: develop and advance elite hockey players to Division 1 or DIII college opportunities, give back to Janesville through community service and partnerships with local charities, and provide the residents high-quality affordable family entertainment. The Woodman’s Center will allow us to fulfill our mission even more, and the state resources get us much closer to making this dream a reality.” Bill McCoshen, Founder & President of the Janesville Jets
"From hosting conventions and events to bringing young athletes and their families to Janesville, this facility will help Janesville and Rock County continue to be a leading destination in the region and promote economic growth." State Senator Mark Spreitzer
About the Woodman's Center: Located at the former Sears building at Uptown Janesville, the 130,000 square feet proposed Woodman's Sports and Convention Center will become Northern Rock County's most significant gathering space, attracting sports teams, regional and national companies, and organizations for meetings, conferences, and trade shows.
About the Friends: The Friends of the Woodman's Center have been actively gathering, planning, researching, and campaigning for the Woodman's Sports and Convention Center project since 2017. The Friends work in partnership with the City of Janesville, Janesville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Forward Janesville, community volunteers, and civic group leaders.