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To the City of West Bend and West Bend 7 Up supporters,

One thing that Adam Rohlinger said to me several years ago that still sticks with me to this date was that, "if I am going to still play, I want to play for a team that is run like a professional team."  Although none of the members of this team get paid to play, we try to run our program like a business not only on the field but off the field as well.  Being run professional doesn't always mean maximizing profits like a business, it means doing things in a way to provide a great family experience, and giving back to a community that we represent on our jerseys.  Everything we do is with that in mind. How can we continue to play a game that we love while doing what we can to ensure that baseball is around for generations to come.  I was always taught about the value of giving back, and using the platform given to effect change.  Many folks that represent West Bend like John Rozak, Tony Michels, Billy Bynum, Bart and Rita Bartholomew, Doug Gonring, Willie Mueller, Prudy Pick Hway, Kelly Rohlinger, the late George Kraemer, Doug Kieckhafer, and Cathy Lawton have paved a personal path for me to model what I would like to do at West Bend 7 Up after. We have had great individuals on our roster like 2013 George Kraemer Man of the Year award winner Billy Bynum, Brandon Mantz, and former player/manager Erik Kraemer that have been a personal model of those values.
 

After sitting down with our chief sponsor, Doug Kieckhafer of 7 Up Bottling during the winter, he made it clear to Bart Bartholomew and myself that being a community based team is more than showing up and playing baseball.  The 7 Up, Company, Lithia teams of the past did much more for the community than playing baseball, they used their platform to do good things for the community they represent.  After reflection on the conversation, and having additional conversations with people in the community, and looking back at the microfilm of years gone by.  I have hoped to come up with a plan to honor the work of so many while paving a path for our organization to give back this season. 

When Chuck Walter, the former West Bend Lithia mastermind, was inducted into the WBBA Wall of Honor in February, everyone in attendance was educated on just what great work Chuck did on behalf of the Threshold, a organization that provides rehabilitation and job services to the physically and mentally disabled in our community.  Chuck used his platform with West Bend Lithia to run a benefit game called the City Championship.  A fish fry, and other game entertainment will be held on June 13th as well as our annual game with the West Bend Benders.  We are excited to use the game of baseball to help support such a worthwhile cause that was such a important part of the city fabric for so many decades.

Also, after seeing the success of the West Bend Bombers hockey team's food drive, we will be holding a season long food drive for the Full Shelf Food Pantry of West Bend.  Simply bring 2 non-perishable items to any West Bend 7 Up game and you will receive a free 7 Up product. 

Thanks to a great relationship with Todd Lemke and Bill Schubert of the West Bend Little League we will bring back a hopefully long time tradition, the West Bend Little League game on July 6th.  Many special events will happen throughout the day to honor the future West Bend 7 Up players.

With that, we will also continue to be strong supporters of the West Bend Baseball Association.  The WBBA supports baseball from the past, present, and future.  We are honored to help preserve the memories of great people and teams of our past, support youth baseball of the present, and build a foundation that baseball is around in West Bend for many generations to follow.

TIt is the least we can do for the names on our jerseys.  Thanks for your support to our program and organization.  If you can make it out to a game thank you, if not we hope you keep following along and can be proud of the product we put on the field and the type of people we are off of it.

Cheers to a great 2014 season,

Craig Larsen
West Bend 7 Up Manager/President





 

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