Boys & Girls Club Blog

August 3, 2026

OSHKOSH, Wis. — More than 200 guests and Character and Empowerment program participants from the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh gathered on July 29, 2026, for the organization’s 16th annual Afternoon Tea, held at The Gibson Social Club in downtown Oshkosh.

The event brought together community members, sponsors and volunteers to celebrate the more than 50 girls, ages 7 to 11, who completed this summer’s six-week Character and Empowerment program, designed to build confidence, leadership skills and self-esteem among Club participants.

Guests were treated to an inspirational presentation by Miss Wisconsin 2025 Willow Newell, who shared her ART of Belonging platform and message with the audience. Newell, who, in 2025, became the first Black woman crowned Miss Wisconsin, is a recent graduate of Carthage College with a degree in Musical Theater. Through her Community Service Initiative, The ART of Belonging, she works to expand inclusive access to the arts and to show how creative expression builds confidence, connection and community.

The program also featured remarks from Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh Board member and Discover Oshkosh Executive Director Amy Albright; Club Youth of the Year Chloe S.; and Kristel Sauter, North America Procurement Leader for Professional Services and Marketing at Kimberly-Clark, the event’s Presenting Sponsor.

Albright spoke about the power of community investment in young people, while Chloe S., a senior at Oshkosh West who has been involved with the Club since age four, reflected on how programs like Character and Empowerment shaped her confidence and leadership as the Club’s 2025-2026 Youth of the Year.

“Looking at everything these girls experienced this summer—from building confidence and poise to exploring careers and simply learning to be unapologetically themselves—I know those lessons will stay with them for years. They certainly have with me,” Chloe said.

Sauter highlighted Kimberly-Clark’s decades-long partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh and the company’s commitment to empowering women and girls as part of its 2030 sustainability strategy.

Over six weeks leading up to the Tea, participants rotated through a series of hands-on classes led by incredible community volunteers and organizations. The program opened with a STEM-focused session from the Oshkosh Area School District’s award-winning Wave Robotics team, followed by a self-confidence and poise workshop from the Service League of Oshkosh. TEDxOshkosh speaker Gabrielle Luloff introduced girls to Wance, her walk-and-dance confidence practice, before WLUK Fox 11 Meteorologist Audrey Leigh led a weather-science lesson and engineering challenge. Oshkosh Corporation then guided an exploration of identity, self-esteem and teamwork rooted in its Good to Give Back program, and the series closed with a hands-on painting session with visual artists Joye and Rachel Moon.

“Character and Empowerment, and the Afternoon Tea that celebrates it, hold a truly unique and inspirational place in our Club girls’ experience each summer,” said Tracy Ogden, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh. “Year after year, our network of supporters shows up in the biggest way for this program and for the culminating celebration that follows. That kind of consistency tells these girls they are seen, they are valued and their community is invested in who they are becoming.”

This year’s Afternoon Tea was made possible by the generosity of numerous community sponsors, including Leader Sponsor Kimberly-Clark; Dreamer Sponsor Helaine Lasky; Empower Sponsors Menasha Corporation and Oshkosh Corporation; Speaker Sponsor Silver Star Brands Foundation; venue and luncheon sponsors The Gibson Social Club and Becket’s Restaurant; Sun Dress Sponsors Sheldon and Lori Lasky and the Oshkosh Area Women’s Association; Inspiration Sponsor the Women’s Fund of the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation; tote bag sponsor 4imprint; Great Futures sponsors Chrys Hyde, Shea Electric & Communications LLC and the Twentieth Century Club; Flip Flop Sponsors Bob and Sidonia Burnell, Dr. Lori Muller, Omni Glass and Paint, the Oshkosh Area Women’s Association, Jeff and Ann Trembly, Beth Wyman and Old Navy; and Character & Empowerment Class Sponsors Lori Bunke, Betsy Hufford, Barbara Herzog and Jason and Courtney Lasky. The Club also thanked photographer Phil Weston of Weston Imaging for helping stage and capture the day.

To take a Club tour and see Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh programs in action before summer concludes, contact Alex Hummel, Director of Advancement: alexh@bgcosh.org or (920) 233-1414 ext. 129.

*photos courtesy of Phil Weston, Weston Imaging