The holiday season may be over, but the spirit of giving still remains for the Brewers, as the club and Major League Baseball contributed to a remodel of the Milwaukee-area Boys & Girls Club's Pieper-Hillside facility last Friday.
The new refurbishings include new lighting, ceiling tiles and flooring, as well as furniture upgrades, window treatments and a fresh coat of paint in certain areas. But the Brewers' trademark touch was perhaps the new video-game equipment to go along with newly installed high-definition big screens with surround sound. An arcade game console was installed, too, adding a retro feel to the gaming area. The project also included the installation of foosball, billiards, air hockey and carpetball tables.
As Brewers chief operating officer Rick Schlesinger indicated, the kids and the Major Leaguers aren't all that different in what they seek out for entertainment.
"We decided to bring a bit of our clubhouse to the Boys & Girls Club," Schlesinger said.
The $75,000 project was part of a $2 million, league-wide commitment by MLB to renovate parts of at least one Boys & Girls Club in each big league market from 2016-20. The larger effort will primarily focus on facilities and playing fields connected to Boys & Girls Clubs. The Pieper-Hillside club serves roughly 200 kids per day.
"This really is a testament to what Milwaukee cares about," said Vincent Lyles, president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee. "It cares about its kids."