Whether a person has attended hundreds of games, or just one, the Toledo Mud Hens and Toledo Walleye organizations hope every fan feels like they belong in the arena or ballpark.
“Belonging means different things to different people, and we embrace it,” said Michael Jacob, Hens and Walleye Vice President of Marketing. “We want you to belong any way you want.”
A Walleye game in the Huntington Center might be where a fan feels confident and energetic. A child at Mud Hens baseball camp might have an interaction with Muddy or Muddonna that fuels their desire to come back.
However, baseball and hockey games are just one way a fan might belong in the Hens and Walleye community.
“We believe our purpose extends far beyond sports,” Joseph Napoli, CEO of the Hens and Walleye, said. “The Mud Hens, Walleye, and Hensville are places where Toledo gathers. Modern-day town squares where people from all walks of life connect, celebrate, and find common ground.”
The organizations offer year-round entertainment, from concerts and inflatable playgrounds in Hensville Park, to eating at Fleetwood's Tap Room, to postgame fireworks and pregame meet and greets.
The summer youth baseball camps draw in 7,000 children to the ballpark, with the Meijer Summer Street Series teaching children hockey stick and puck shooting skills.
In the winter, Hensville Park is open for an annual tree lighting ceremony, with a 45 ft. tree and more than 200,000 lights.
“Most people are not simply fans of baseball or hockey; they are fans of their families, their friendships, their traditions, and the moments they share together,” Napoli said.
No matter if a business is going to the Hens game for a group outing, parents bring their children to a baseball camp, or friends reconnect at Fleetwood's, the Hens and Walleye success is “not measured in wins and losses,” but human connection.
“In that sense, we are far more than sports organizations. We are memory makers, community builders, and stewards of Toledo pride, dedicated to creating experiences that help people feel connected to one another and to the city they proudly call home,” Napoli said.
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