County Executive Hosting Parks ‘Celebrity Softball Game’

Baseball diamond at Clinton Rose Park. Photo by Graham Kilmer.

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley is hosting the inaugural Milwaukee County Parks Celebrity Softball Game with local journalists, artists, business owners, activists, politicians and community leaders filling out the teams.

The event will take place Saturday at Clinton Rose Park at noon. The event is part of the county executive’s 2023 Healthy County Challenge. The challenge began in 2022 as an initiative to encourage healthy habits and use of county parks and other outdoor spaces. Crowley kicked off the effort in 2022 with a 3k walk in Sherman Park.

“I am personally inviting all residents to join the Healthy County initiative,” he said in a statement at the time. “Milwaukee County is committed to addressing inequities by ensuring equitable access to parks, trails, and outdoor spaces in a way that supports healthy lifestyles for all of our residents.”

The county executive launched the initiative this year in May with a walk along the lakefront during the Gifted Wings Kite Festival. Later in June, while not explicitly part of the challenge, Crowley joined the county’s Department of Health and Human Services in Washington Park for a men’s yoga and resources event to celebrate Men’s Health Month.

In July, Crowley’s office organized a Jr. NBA Basketball clinic in Atkinson Park in partnership with the Milwaukee Parks Foundation, Milwaukee Bucks Foundation and Colectivo Coffee.

The softball game this weekend is being organized with The Ability Center, Brewers Community Foundation, Sherman Phoenix Marketplace, Greater Milwaukee Foundation and the Milwaukee County Parks Foundation. The county executive’s office is calling it the “Summer’s Healthiest Tailgate.”

Crowley is captaining one team, and Sherman Phoenix Executive Director Stacia Thompson is captaining the other. Andre Lee Ellis will emcee the event with Keyon Jackson-Malone and music by DJ Stretch.

Players include:

Team Crowley

• Dan Shafer, local journalist
• Meg Rognsvoog, Baxter International
• Lena DeLaet, Milwaukee World Festival, Inc.
• Darius Smith, artist
• Aaron Dobson, Milwaukee County Sheriff‘s Office
• Aaron Lipski, Milwaukee Fire Chief
• Vedale Hill, artist
• Kim Shine, journalist
• Marcela Garcia, Milwaukee School Board
• Tiffany Miller, artist

Team Thompson

• TrueMan McGee, Funky Fresh Spring Rolls
• Terron Edwards Jr., community advocate
• Gerron Jordan, TV journalist
• Amanda Merkwae, ACLU of Wisconsin
• Jamar Jones, business owner
• Vaun Mayes, community activist
• Rae Johnson, ESRI
• Priscilla E. Coggs-Jones, Milwaukee County Supervisor
• Steve Glynn, Experience Milwaukee
• Pamela McCreary, business owner