(Pictured Left to Right: John Rehberg (Honor Flight Recipient), Mike Thompson (Never Forgotten Honor Flight), John Fanta (Rafters GM),  Jim Campbell (Never Forgotten Honor Flight), and Phil Hartley (NewPage))

Partnerships Lead To Over $40,000 In Total Donations

Wisconsin Rapids, Wis- The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters are proud to announce that through the partnerships with ten different companies they have raised over $40,000 to donate to local non-profit organizations. The Rafters were able to use a variety of formats to help raise money throughout the 2014 season.

Alternate jerseys worn by the Rafters for three games during the 2014 season were included in silent auctions, with proceeds given to local organizations. Advanced Disposal, one of the Rafters’ founding partners, sponsored the special cranberry appreciation themed jerseys worn by the Rafters on June 24th. The proceeds from the auction of these jerseys were given to the History of Witter Field Mural project to be completed on the Witter Field facade in the future. A second silent auction was held following the “Turn Back the Clock” game on June 11 in which the Rafters donned special Wisconsin Rapids Twins themed jerseys presented by Fey Printing. The proceeds from this auction benefitted the Incourage Community Foundation Bridge Lighting project. The final silent jersey auction came following the game on August 2nd when the Rafters wore special purple jerseys for Marshfield Clinic Cancer Awareness night. Proceeds from this auction went to aid in cancer research.

The Rafters play on the field also helped contribute to the tremendous amount of money donated this season as well. Through a partnership with Duncan Disability Law, each time the Rafters stole a base during a home game at Witter Field a donation of $20 was made to the Family Center of Wisconsin Rapids. For the 2014 season, the Rafters finished with 37 stolen bases in games played at Witter Field.

For each home run hit by the Rafters at home, Lester Smart, Inc. and West Bend Mutual Insurance made a donation of $75 to the South Wood County YMCA. The Rafters finished the season with 15 home runs hit at Witter Field.

The “Great Futures Summer Concert” presented by Element Mobile was once again a great way for the Rafters to raise money and awareness for the Boys and Girls Club of the Wisconsin Rapids Area. Frankie Ballard headlined the event which was attended by nearly 1000 fans.

(Pictured Left to Right: Deputy Scott Goldberg, Criag Enkro (Owner, Quality Foods IGA-Baker Drive), Rafters GM John Fanta, Lt. Shawn Becker, K9 Deputy Andy Simon, and Rex)

Fans who attended a Rafters home game during the 2014 season had the opportunity join the Rafters in assisting a local organization through the “Quality Foods IGA Tennis Ball Toss”. For just $2 per ball, fans had the chance to throw their tennis ball into a shopping cart provided by Rafters’ Founding Partner Quality Foods IGA, located on Baker Drive. All of the proceeds from the tennis ball toss went to the Wood County Special Response Team.

The Incourage Community Foundation and The Rafters partnered together to provide funds for the annual 4th of July Fireworks show in Wisconsin Rapids. $1 from each bag of delicious cotton candy sold at Witter Field went to the fireworks fund. The Rafters and the Incourage Community Foundation also work together to provide the Lil’ Rafters Reading Program. Elementary school students in the Wisconsin Rapids area are given two free tickets to a Rafters game if there are able to complete a pre determined reading requirement. In the 2014 season, 683 students participated in the reading program.

Marshfield Clinic did not stop at just the cancer awareness jersey auction. They also partnered with the Rafters to provide donations to local Little League programs in the Wisconsin Rapids Area such as WRYSA, Nekoosa, Pittsville, Vesper, Rudolph, and Marshfield Little Leagues. For each extra base hit (home run, double, triple) the Rafters tallied this season, a donation went into a pool, to be divided evenly amongst the Little League programs following the conclusion of the season. During the season, Marshfield Clinic also partnered with the Rafters to provide a free skills clinic for kids in the Wisconsin Rapids area, in which the participants were able to learn and work on their baseball skills with members of the Rafters team and coaching staff.

In one of the more special partnerships the Rafters had in the 2014 season, New Page Corp. joined to support a military appreciation event at Witter Field on July 27th. Fans could purchase a special piece of paper for $2 that would say “Thank You” and leave space for a message to be written to a member of the Armed Forces currently serving overseas. The papers could then be made into a paper airplane to be thrown at a target placed on the field. The proceeds from this event went to the Never Forgotten Honor Flight, and the fan who landed their airplane closest to the target was named the sponsor of a veteran to take an Honor Flight to Washington D.C.

The Rafters and the Team Schierl Companies partnered together to create a special piece of apparel for fans to wear. A camouflage hat was created with the Rafters logo in blaze orange and was worn by the team on August 8th. $5 from each hat sold went to benefit the Boys and Girls Club of the Wisconsin Rapids Area.

The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters also take great pride in working with local non-profit organizations by providing donation bags filled with Rafters’ merchandise. In 2014, over 150 chartable donations were made by the Rafters.

Finally, the Rafters made over 75 free appearances in the community featuring members of the Rafters’ team along with mascot Rosco P. Rafter.

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The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 21st season of summer collegiate baseball, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 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, more than 115 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (DET) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Allen Craig (STL) and Ben Zobrist (TB). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League YouTube channel.  For more information, visit www.raftersbaseball.com.