The Largest Boys & Girls Clubs Teen Center in America Opens in the Northwest Suburbs
Foglia Woodlands Impact Center is officially open, and it is the largest Boys & Girls Clubs teen center in America.
This week, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Northwest Suburbs celebrated a milestone years in the making with the official ribbon-cutting and name unveiling of Foglia Woodlands Impact Center.
The opening represents much more than the completion of a new facility. It marks the beginning of a new chapter for young people throughout the Northwest Suburbs and an investment in opportunities that will impact our community for generations to come.
The center represents a $13.2 million investment in the future of our community and our youth, made possible through years of planning, fundraising, generosity, and partnership.
Celebrating a Milestone Together
The ribbon-cutting celebration brought together donors, supporters, community leaders, school district partners, members of our Board of Directors, staff, Club members, and friends who helped turn the vision for Woodlands into a reality.
Guests heard from Lorraine Orr, Executive Vice President & Chief Operations Officer of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, who traveled from Atlanta to join us and experience the new center firsthand. Tom Roeser, Board Chair of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Northwest Suburbs and CEO of OTTO, and Amanda Schleede, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Northwest Suburbs, also spoke during the celebration. Jim Clark, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, shared a special message recognizing the occasion.
Introducing Foglia Woodlands Impact Center
One of the most memorable moments of the celebration was the unveiling of the center’s new name: Foglia Woodlands Impact Center.
The name recognizes Foglia family’s transformational generosity and belief in our mission and the young people we serve. Their gift helped bring our $13.2 million capital campaign to completion and will impact this community for generations to come.
Thank You to Those Who Made It Possible
A project of this magnitude is only possible when a community comes together.
We are deeply grateful to the individuals, families, foundations, and organizations whose generosity helped turn this vision into reality, including Foglia Foundation; Duchossois Family; Tom & Bette Roeser; Dominic & Jessica Green Family; Mark & Robin Seigle; David & Aimee Tanking; Hargrave Builders; Krueger Family; Pepper Family Foundation; Wickstrom Auto Group; Hoffer Plastics; and Patrick & Cindy Galley Family.
Every gift represented something bigger than a contribution to a building. It represented a belief that our young people matter and that they deserve a community willing to invest in their futures. As shared during the celebration, this building stands because of that generosity.
We are also grateful to our Board of Directors, whose governance, guidance, patience, and commitment helped carry this project from an idea on paper to the incredible center standing today.
Our Community Partners
Our work would not be possible without organizations throughout the Northwest Suburbs that share our commitment to young people and families.
We extend a special thank you to our community partners, including Barrington Youth & Family Services, Barrington Giving Day, Elgin Food, Northern Illinois Food Bank, VFM, GiveNKind, and others who continue to support our mission and strengthen the communities we serve.
We are especially grateful to School District 220 and School District 300. Their partnership extends far beyond logistical support. They have helped us connect with students and families, championed our mission within their schools, and helped us reach young people who can benefit from everything the Club has to offer.
A Place Built for Young People
Throughout Foglia Woodlands Impact Center, young people will find spaces created for STEAM, the arts, athletics, teen programming, early learning, and more. These aren’t simply rooms in a new building — they are places where young people can explore their interests, develop new skills, build relationships, and discover possibilities for their futures. And while the facility itself is extraordinary, our staff will bring it to life every day. They continued moving our mission forward throughout the development of Woodlands and remain the reason young people walk through our doors and feel like they belong. As Amanda shared during the celebration, a beautiful building alone doesn’t make a Club; it’s the people inside it who do.
A Finish Line and a Starting Line
The opening of Foglia Woodlands Impact Center is both the finish line of an incredible journey and the starting line for the thousands of young people who will walk through these doors in the years ahead.
To Foglia family, our supporters and donors, Board of Directors, community partners, School Districts 220 and 300, staff, Club members, and everyone who helped make Woodlands possible: thank you. You didn’t just help create a bigger space. You helped create stronger possibilities for the next generation. The largest Boys & Girls Clubs teen center in America is here in the Northwest Suburbs. And we’re just getting started.
