Dan was born and raised on a small dairy farm in nearby Coon Valley, Wisconsin where he developed a love for the game of baseball. As a young boy, Dan loved to watch and play baseball. Believe it or not, in the middle of school, Dan and his friends skipped their classes to watch the 1960 Yankees vs. Pirates World Series Game 7. In addition to playing and watching the game, he coached youth baseball in the La Crosse area for 15 years. Knowing that baseball has long been a fixture and passion to the people of La Crosse, Kapanke and his wife Ruth turned dreams into reality when they decided to bring the La Crosse Loggers to Copeland Park in 2003. As the Northwoods League announced the launch of a new women’s summer collegiate softball league, Kapanke became a strong advocate of expanding the summer collegiate atmosphere in La Crosse to include softball.
Being a UW-La Crosse graduate in Economics and Political Science, Dan became heavily involved in local politics and is well-known throughout the community. Dan was elected to the State Senate in November of 2004 and represented the 32nd District in Wisconsin until 2011. Along with his involvement in the political realm, Dan has over 30 years of experience in the agriculture business. You can find Dan throughout Copeland Park during Logger’s home games, taking in the experience with fans and tossing peanuts into the stands. The love of Dan’s life, Ruth, has put up with Dan for 50 years! Dan and Ruth have a family of 4 children and 12 grandchildren.
Ruth has been Dan’s life partner for 50 years and is happy to participate in all things “Loggers”. Her biggest joy and privilege is training and working with our staff. As a staff developer, her main goal is to ensure that we treat others the way we would want to be treated.
Ruth recently retired from a very rewarding career in nursing, which has allowed her more free time to spend with her 12 grandchildren! She loves to read and, along with Logger Dog, was instrumental in the creation of Logger Dog’s Reading Incentive Program. As the program grows, she hopes kids will develop a deep love for reading. With the couple’s 4 children, their spouses and grandkids all close by, life is busy and fulfilling for Ruth and Dan.
Growing up in Olathe, Kansas, sports were a large part of Kara Griswold’s life. Griswold moved to the upper Midwest to become a member of the women’s basketball team at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. As a student-athlete at UW-Stout, Kara Griswold was a 3-time Scholar Athlete and a 5-time Chancellor’s Scholar graduating with a bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in sports management and marketing. Returning home temporarily Griswold worked as a graduate assistant to the Athletic Director and Communications Director while earning her master’s degree in Sports Management from Baker University.
While working towards her degrees Griswold also worked as a Program Administrator for Kansas Elite Girls Basketball, a competitive AAU traveling girls basketball club based in Kansas City. Griswold is a proud member of the Women Leaders in Sports organization and has been a champion for women’s sports her entire life.
Moving back up to her new favorite home Kara Griswold will continue supporting women’s sports in her first season as the General Manager for the La Crosse Steam Softball. Griswold currently resides in Tomah, Wisconsin with her partner Jacob, and their cat Eleanor.
