{"id":424,"date":"2013-09-11T21:38:25","date_gmt":"2013-09-11T21:38:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/northwoodsleague.com\/rochester-honkers\/?page_id=424"},"modified":"2026-01-08T13:41:19","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T19:41:19","slug":"host-family-program","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/northwoodsleague.com\/eau-claire-express\/community\/host-family-program\/","title":{"rendered":"Host Family Program"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>

Become a Host Family for an Express Player!<\/b><\/h1><\/div>
<\/div><\/div>

Do you love baseball?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Are you interested in having an impact on a young man’s life, possibly his professional career?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Are you interested in building a relationship that may last a lifetime?<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you answered yes to these questions, please consider being an Eau Claire Express Host Family.<\/p>\n

This year approximately 35 young men from all over the country will move to the Chippewa Valley for the summer to play for the Eau Claire Express. From late May through late August, these young aspiring ballplayers hone their skills by playing 72 games in a minor league setting.<\/p>\n

Over the 30-year history of the Northwoods League, the host family program has been a vital part of every team’s success both on and off the field. Having the players become part of a local family helps these young men have some sense of normalcy in a strange new city.<\/p>\n

Many of the players become more than a guest. They actually become part of the family!<\/p>\n<\/div>

Express Host Family Brochure<\/span><\/a><\/div>
Northwoods Host Family Brochure<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

HERE’S THE PITCH:<\/strong><\/h1>\n

– Provide a home and be for player(s) during the Express season<\/h4>\n

– Your family receives free season tickets<\/h4>\n

– The player will be a positive role model for your children<\/h4>\n

– Your family will be invited to attend special events<\/h4>\n

– You will have the opportunity to make a positive impact on the future of a young man<\/h4>\n

– You might be getting to know a future Major League Baseball star<\/h4>\n

– You have the potential to create a long-term friendship<\/h4>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

\u200bSUCCESS STORIES:<\/strong><\/h1>\n

“It has personally been a rewarding experience for our family to host the Eau Claire Express baseball players. Being there for them through the good times and the rough times are all part of the hosting experience. Watching these young college-aged players come to Eau Claire to play their hearts out all summer long is a wonderful opportunity for the Eau Claire community. As host parents and Express fans, we believe these young men have been great sports role models for our community! We have been blessed to have hosted fifteen players to date. They have become part of “our family”. To receive a text message or phone call saying “Happy Birthday” from one of our past players still brightens our day, which brings back great memories of our times together. We always wish all of our players well.” <\/em>– Barb & Craig Santolin, host family 2006-2021<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div>

\u200bPlease fill out our host family application using the link below or for more information on how to become an Express Host Family, contact Dale Varsho at the Express office:<\/h4>\n<\/div>
APPLICATION FORM<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div>

102 E. Grand Ave.<\/h4>\n

Eau Claire, WI 54701<\/h4>\n

715-839-7788<\/h4>\n

expresshostfamily@gmail.com<\/h4>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":47,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-424","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nHost Family Program - Eau Claire Express<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/northwoodsleague.com\/eau-claire-express\/community\/host-family-program\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Host Family Program\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/northwoodsleague.com\/eau-claire-express\/community\/host-family-program\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Eau Claire Express\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-08T19:41:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/northwoodsleague.com\/eau-claire-express\/community\/host-family-program\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/northwoodsleague.com\/eau-claire-express\/community\/host-family-program\/\",\"name\":\"Host Family Program - Eau Claire Express\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/northwoodsleague.com\/eau-claire-express\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2013-09-11T21:38:25+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-08T19:41:19+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/northwoodsleague.com\/eau-claire-express\/community\/host-family-program\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/northwoodsleague.com\/eau-claire-express\/community\/host-family-program\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/northwoodsleague.com\/eau-claire-express\/community\/host-family-program\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/northwoodsleague.com\/eau-claire-express\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"COMMUNITY\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/northwoodsleague.com\/eau-claire-express\/community\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Host Family Program\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/northwoodsleague.com\/eau-claire-express\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/northwoodsleague.com\/eau-claire-express\/\",\"name\":\"Eau Claire Express\",\"description\":\"Affordable. 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