» League Seeks baseball gear for American troops in Iraq

League Seeks baseball gear for American troops in Iraq

August 16th, 2007

In 2005, John Schiltz of Sun Prairie served in Kuwait with the Wisconsin Army National Guard’s 1158th Transportation Company. Now, he plays left field for the Blazers of the Men’s Senior Baseball League of Southern Wisconsin. That is why he knows the importance of the donated baseballs, bats, shoes, gloves, and helmets that were piled on Sunday, June 3rd in the back of a pickup truck at Bowman Field. All the donated stuff will be sent to
American troops in Iraq. John Schiltz stated that something like this was going to really mean a lot to all the guys over there so that they know they were not taken for granted. Matthew Varney, League commissioner, said that local donations were part of a national effort that started with an e-mail message from county deputy in Minnesota Ken Wickelgren. He is spending a year in Iraq with a private contractor to train police officers.
He plays for a men’s senior team in southeastern Minnesota. In fact, the league does not have any specific goal. There’s only a hope to collect whatever they can get to send in Iraq. The league has also received cash donations. The money will be spent on baseballs. Equipment will be collected throughout the summer and anyone can donate by visiting the Leagues website at www.msblofsouthernwisconsin.homestead.com. It is not for the first time
that the League will be donating equipment to help American troops serving in Iraq.