Last fall I had the honor of meeting an incredible young man who is making a difference for children struggling with illness. When Vance Wilks was just 7 years old, he began having seizures that led doctors to discover a benign brain tumor. During his treatment, Vance noticed there weren’t many good toys to play with at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. In order to address the toy shortage, Vance and his family started a toy drive- “Vance’s Toy Voyage.”

If you are able to donate, unwrapped toys for kids age 0-16 are being accepted at Browns Lake Golf Course (located at 932 Browns Lake Drive in Burlington) until September 30. In order to help with the toy drive, my Madison office (located in Office 319 South in the State Capitol Building) is also accepting toy donations through the middle of October.

If you are looking for ideas of what to donate, the Children's Hospital is in need of infant toys such as Taggies, rattles, and Oballs. It's hard to think about, but 50% of the kids at the hospital are babies, so those toys are in high demand. They are also accepting iTunes gift cards for older pediatric patients.

Great economic news. In August, Kenosha County received upgraded ratings from both Standard & Poors Global and Fitch Ratings. The County was previously at an AA rating, and was upgraded to AA+ rating. Both S&P and Fitch cited Kenosha County's good and growing economy, and strong management and fiscal policies in their decision.

It is wonderful to see strong economic growth in the 21st Senate District. This shows that Kenosha County is following responsible fiscal policies, and it is paying off. This is just another positive step towards an even brighter future for our communities.

Fine Job of Leadership, County Executive Kreuser and County Board Members and congratulations to ALL Kenosha County employees for making it happen!

One of the services I am proud to offer my constituents is State of Wisconsin Blue Books and Highway Maps. I am happy to provide these resources free of charge to those who live in the 21st Senate District. The resources include a map of the entire State of Wisconsin, a map of just Kenosha and Racine Counties and Blue Books (which contain some great information about the three branches of government, a copy of the Wisconsin Constitution, contact information for elected officials and statistics about our state). 

To receive your free Blue Book, State Map or Kenosha/Racine Counties Map, just send me an email to Sen.Wanggaard@legis.wi.gov with your name and mailing address. Please be sure to note which resources you would like!