Wausau, Wis. — In 2021, the Wisconsin Woodchucks and team owners Mark and Donna Macdonald once again gave back to the community through partnerships with local businesses, donations in kind, and employing many local residents for the summer.
Every season the Woodchucks partner with local businesses to raise money for community causes through various partnerships. Through these partnerships the Woodchucks raised $14,000 for the community this year. Each home run scored by a Woodchucks player raised money for the Bridge Street Mission courtesy of K-Tech Kleening, totaling $2,000. Every time a Woodchucks player was walked, money was raised for JDRF in partnership with Crystal Finishing Systems Inc. with a grand total of $10,000. Each time the clean-up hitter brought in a run, Executive Cleaning donated to the Jireh Food Pantry, for a total of $2,000.
In addition, the Woodchucks worked with many local youth sports teams and bands for fundraising efforts. This includes a ticket package that organizations could sell with a certain amount going back to their organization. The Woodchucks are happy to support these organizations and match all funds raised during the fundraisers.
The Woodchucks also partnered with Ruder Ware and TDSfiber.com for Woody’s Reading Club, a reading incentive program that local schools and libraries can participate in and earn a free ticket to a Woodchucks game along with other prizes such as a ballpark snack. Over 200 classrooms and libraries participated in this year’s program, giving more than 4000 area students the chance to earn a Woodchucks game ticket and other prizes!
The Woodchucks also had game day initiatives to support various groups in the Wausau community. This included the WisDOT Hometown Hero of the game which brought local police, fire, first responder, Military members, or healthcare workers to a game to be recognized on field for his or her service. At every home game there was also a Cellcom Field of Dreams Team of the Night, providing local youth baseball, softball, and dance teams with the opportunity to attend the game free of cost and to join the Woodchucks players on the field during the pre-game ceremonies.
During 2021, the Woodchucks gave back to the community with over 25 donations in kind to various groups including churches, schools, public safety, public works, and sports organizations. The team mascot, Woody Woodchuck, made 17 appearances to community events varying from fun runs, walks, childcare centers, community celebrations and more. Additionally, Woodchucks players, coaches and staff helped to host two youth baseball clinics in partnership with Wisconsin Chevy Dealers that had 200 youth in attendance.
Not only did the Woodchucks show their support through raising money, donations, and mascot appearances, but the Woodchucks also employed 75 people for the summer. This is in addition to 25 summer interns and five full-time employees. The Woodchucks are happy to support the community by providing employment opportunities each summer and by giving people an opportunity for their very first job or for financial support during the summer months.
The Woodchucks finished the regular season with the best record in their sub-division and broke many franchise records along the way. The Woodchucks provided great entertainment for 40,040 fans this summer. The Woodchucks pride themselves in creating a family-friendly, affordable experience for the community with the great events held at Athletic Park.
Thank you to the community, local businesses, our sponsors, and the Macdonald family for your continued support.
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The Wisconsin Woodchucks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Having completed its’ 27th season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff, over 250 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and MLB Gold Glove finalist and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (TOR). league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.woodchucks.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Woodchucks as your favorite team.
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Author: David Keech
David Keech is a retired teacher and works as a sportswriter, sports official and as an educational consultant. He has reported on amateur sports since 2011, known as 'KeechDaVoice.' David can be reached at [email protected]
