Stoughton doesn't have a community center. We don't have a roller rink. We don't have a space where families, kids, seniors, and neighbors can just SHOW UP together on a Wednesday night and belong somewhere.

That's what Mystic Skate Community Center is...

MSCC is a proposed 15,000 square foot roller skating and community center for Stoughton, Wisconsin — the first of its kind in all of Dane County's south corridor. Not just a rink. A LIVING ROOM for this town. A place with music loud enough to feel it, wheels under your feet, and kids who don't want to go home.

I'm Jason Atkins, a Stoughton resident and founder of the Golden Rule Group — a nonprofit in formation that will be filing for 501(c)(3) status as one of our very first acts. The $600 federal filing fee is literally one of the first line items in this budget. I started this because I kept waiting for someone else to do it... and eventually figured out no one was coming.

Here's where we are and where we're going.

Phase 1 (Right Now — October 2026)

This is what your donation funds. We're establishing the Golden Rule Group's operational home at the Mystic Stoughton Community House (MSCH) — a physical headquarters somewhere in downtown Stoughton where everything begins. We're actively looking for the right space right now... if you know of a location, a landlord, or someone who might be able to help us find our home base, please reach out. Phase 1 launches Heroes Academy, our FREE youth development and mentorship program for Stoughton kids who need somewhere to BE. It's where we build the governance, the relationships, and the community trust that makes everything else possible.

Your $50 or $100 doesn't just sit in a bank account. It pays rent on a real downtown space. It buys supplies for kids who can't afford them. It keeps the lights on while we do the work to bring Phase 3 to life.

Phase 2 (Late 2026 — Spring 2027)

Here's the part that makes me smile every time I think about it... the Stoughton Hockey Team has generously offered us use of the arena floor during their off-ice season for POP-UP Mystic Skate nights. Real skating. Real community. Real revenue — before a single dollar of Phase 3 capital is deployed. Phase 2 proves the concept, builds the audience, and generates the social media content and email list that makes Phase 3 launch day a CELEBRATION instead of a cold start.

Phase 3 (2027 — 2028)

Full construction and grand opening of the Mystic Skate Community Center. A purpose-built 19,000 square foot facility with a 15,000 sq ft skating floor, mezzanine, concessions, party rooms, a pro shop, and a full weekly programming schedule from Tuesday morning senior fitness skate to Friday night open skate to Saturday birthday parties. Year 1 conservative projection: 63,000 visitors. Revenue: $1.64 million. EBITDA: $654,000. The numbers work — and we have a 50-page business plan to prove it.

Why Stoughton? Why now?

There is NO full-service roller rink within 25 miles of this city. The nearest option is a 35-minute drive to Watertown. Meanwhile, Mad Town Skate just secured a Madison location targeting summer 2026 — and the community's response has been OVERWHELMING. That's not a threat to MSCC. That's proof that the demand is real and the time to move is RIGHT NOW.

Stoughton is growing. Dane County is at 590,000 people and projected to hit 820,000 by 2050. Stoughton Trailers just opened a brand new 53,000 sq ft headquarters on Greenbriar Drive, bringing 200 more employees to this community. The US-51 corridor reconstruction is done — new sidewalks, protected bike lanes, a modernized streetscape ready for investment. The road is literally ready. This community is ready. What we don't have yet is the anchor that ties it all together.

That's Mystic Skate.

What is Heroes Academy?

Heroes Academy is the soul of everything we're doing here. It's a FREE youth development and mentorship program — funded through Golden Rule Group's nonprofit mission — for Stoughton kids who need somewhere safe, supervised, and meaningful to spend their time. No cost to families. No barriers to entry. Just kids, mentors, movement, and the kind of community investment that changes lives quietly and permanently.

Heroes Academy launches in Phase 1, right here in Stoughton, before the rink ever opens. Because the mission doesn't wait for the building.

Where does your money go?

Every dollar of this $50,000 goal is accounted for in our Phase 1 operating budget:

Rent for the Mystic Stoughton Community House: ~$30,000

Utilities (electric, gas, water, internet): $4,200

Insurance (general liability + nonprofit): $2,100

Legal & permits (501(c)(3) filing, LLC formation, city permits): $1,015

Equipment (printer, supplies, cashbox, first aid, office basics): $1,215

Technology (websites, Google Workspace, bookkeeping software): $730

Heroes Academy & ReQuest programming (supplies, materials, events): $6,500

Marketing & outreach (signage, community events, campaign materials): $1,400

Contingency (because real life surprises you): $4,716

Total: $51,876. We're asking for $50,000 — and every dollar is spoken for.

No salaries. No architects. No contractors. Just the real cost of opening a door in Stoughton and saying: WE ARE HERE. The work begins now.

This is Stoughton's project — not just mine.

I am one person. I work for free. I have volunteers, I have an advisor at the UW-Madison Small Business Development Center, another with the WI Economic Development Corporation, and I have a vision I believe in with everything I've got.

But this only works if the community shows up.

If you grew up in a town that had a place like this... you know what it meant. If you grew up in a town that DIDN'T... you know exactly what we missed.

Stoughton deserves better than driving 40 minutes to go skating. Our kids deserve a place that's THEIRS. Our seniors deserve a Tuesday morning fitness skate that keeps them moving and laughing. Our families deserve somewhere to go on a January night that isn't another screen.

Let's build it.

Every dollar moves us forward. Every share reaches someone who didn't know this was happening. Every name on this campaign tells the city of Stoughton, our future lenders, and our future grant committees that this community is SERIOUS.

Thank you for being here. Let's do this together.

— Jason Atkins

Founder, Golden Rule Group