For the kids: Hodag Park splash pad opens after years of community-driven effort

Years of planning, fundraising, and community partnership came to a joyful conclusion late last week as Rhinelander’s Hodag Park officially opened the Vancos Family Community Splash Pad — a $600,000 water play facility made possible almost entirely through local donations.
The May 22 ribbon-cutting ceremony drew donors, city officials, construction partners, and families to the park, where Brandon Karaba of the Rhinelander Kiwanis Club reflected on a project that began as little more than an idea and grew into one of the most significant community investments in recent memory.
From Idea to Reality
The splash pad concept had been floating around Rhinelander for years, first raised by the local Lions Club. When the Kiwanis Club began searching for its next major community project, the board revisited the idea — only to be met initially with a price tag that seemed out of reach.
“A couple years ago, we sat down as a board and were looking towards trying to figure out what’s our next big project,” Karaba said at the ceremony. The city indicated that if Kiwanis was interested in improvements at Hodag Park, a new playground was the priority — and mentioned a potential donor. That conversation set off a chain of events no one quite anticipated.

Karaba had been working with Jeff Thompson of Lee Recreation on renderings for an all-inclusive playground when he sat down with that prospective donor, Bill Vancos. Armed with playground plans and a pitch, Karaba made his case — until Vancos stopped him.
“I’m like, okay, I’ve got something in front of me, let’s talk to that donor,” Karaba recounted. “And Bill goes, ‘That’s awesome, but I want a splash pad.’ I said, ‘Okay.’ And he goes, ‘I’m willing to make a considerable donation if that’s the path you decide to go.’”
That conversation launched the project in earnest. Vancos ultimately committed $150,000 — a “goosebump moment,” Karaba said — and the fundraising snowball began to roll.
A Community Comes Together
With a concept in hand, Kiwanis turned to Commercial Recreational Specialists (CRS) for splash pad design, and worked closely with city staff — including city administrator Patrick Reagan, public works director Tom Roeser, parks director Jeremy Biolo, and and water superintendent Curt Johnson — to work through the complex logistics of water supply, drainage, and infrastructure.
“A lot of people, at that very moment, could have just said no,” Karaba noted. “But every one of those folks worked through that and said ‘no, but’ — and that was the biggest thing. They kept seeing that vision.”
The fundraising effort ultimately raised $600,000 from a wide range of community supporters. Among the major donors recognized at the ceremony:
Bill Vancos — $150,000 lead gift
Rhinelander GM — $100,000
Lions Club of Rhinelander — $30,000
Superior Diesel — $50,000
Georgia & Sandra Juetten — $50,000
Rhinelander Community Foundation — $20,000
Air Pro — $20,000
Hodag Tens — $60,000 (raised through a matching grant via CoVantage)
Construction was managed by KSW Construction.
“This was a true honor for us to work with the Kiwanis Club and the city of Rhinelander,” said Cliff O’Connor of KSW. “This splash pad addition to Hodag Park is truly going to be creating memories that are going to last for people’s lifetimes.”
Built for the Kids
At the heart of the project, every speaker returned to the same theme: the children of Rhinelander.
Vancos said his motivation was simple. “I just love the giggles and the laughter of young children,” he said. “Children have to grow up so fast these days, and there’s so much stress between school and sports and everything else. They need more time just being kids and being silly. That was my driving force.”
He also used the moment to encourage appreciation for civic organizations more broadly, noting that volunteer groups like Kiwanis and the Lions Club fill a vital role that government alone cannot. “Every time you see somebody from one of the civic organizations, please express your appreciation to them, because they’re the ones that make things like this happen.”
Roeser echoed the sentiment. “Without the donors and all the organizing, it really shows what a strong community we have,” he said on behalf of the city. “We’re proud to have you in this community.”
The Work Isn’t Done
Karaba made clear that the splash pad, while a milestone, is not the finish line. Kiwanis still has plans to replace the aging playground equipment at Hodag Park with a new all-inclusive structure — the project that first brought them to Jeff Thompson’s door.
“We still have an entire playground to fundraise for,” Karaba said. “With the community’s support, we will keep fundraising to be able to get this whole project to fruition. It just takes one more yes.”
Immediately after Vancos pushed the button to start the water, children began laughing and playing. The splash pad is open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.