DOOR COUNTY (WLUK) — A $1 million donation from a Sturgeon Bay couple is helping kickstart the fundraising campaign for a nonprofit that gives working families access to early childhood education.
Longtime residents Gary Ziegelbauer and Marti Spittell Ziegelbauer recently committed the lead pledge to Doorway to Learning. It’s a licensed childcare organization dedicated to providing quality care in a safe and nurturing environment, serving 150 children year-round and more than 200 in the summer months.
“We really wanted to leave a legacy for — not just for our own grandchildren, but for generations of children to come,” said Marti.
Doorway to Learning is embarking on a $4 million campaign dubbed “Opening the Door to a Brighter Future” to ensure its long-term success. The Ziegelbauers are hoping their philanthropy will inspire others to follow their lead.
“This opportunity presented itself and we decided, ‘Let’s go!’ We need to jump in and be examples of how we need to help save our communities by providing strength for families and the children that they have,” said Marti.
Officials say Doorway to Learning is the only licensed child care center serving children from birth through school age between Green Bay and Sister Bay.
“I feel sentimental about it, but I feel inspired about it, and it gives us hope that this place is going to have a future and it is going to be a long future,” said Michelle Jacobson, executive director of Doorway to Learning.
With the Ziegelbauers’ donation, the facility on Gordon Road will be renamed the Gary and Marti Ziegelbauer Campus – Doorway to Learning.
“We are so grateful for the generosity of the Ziegelbauers’ lead donation. Accessible, high-quality child care is vital to a strong workforce and a thriving community,” said Devin Vandertie, board president for Doorway to Learning, in a news release.
The reality of rising costs makes it increasingly difficult to offer affordable tuition while sustaining operations. This kind of transformational support from community members like the Ziegelbauers allows us to keep our doors open and meet this critical need for families across Door County.
Created by merging Children First and Door Community Child Development Center, the organization combined resources and expertise to ensure long-term sustainability for childcare in Door County.
“One of the critical components of any community is child care, because if families who are working don’t have childcare, they can’t keep their jobs. If we don’t have families working in jobs, we can’t keep the economy strong in the communities in which we live,” Marti said.
But fundraising is necessary.
“Tuition ultimately only covers about 80-90% of your staffing expenses, and then you have to keep the lights on, you need to ensure you have the materials in your classroom. We can’t really service debt, so we have this great facility, this amazing facility, but the campaign really secures that facility for our community for generations to come,” said Kayla Lehman, business administrator at Doorway to Learning.
Lehman says they’re looking at needing $150,000 annually in fundraising, assuming the Wisconsin childcare bridge payments end in 2026, like they’re scheduled to.
Marti Spittell Ziegelbauer was an anchor at FOX 11 during the 80s and 90s.
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