And
welcome back.
It's the WXCO warning reports.
during morning to the pack right low on 98.9 WXCO.
And today, very happy to welcome across the table, once again, the executive director of Extra Innings, the terrific cancer charity that helps folks right here in our area in central Wisconsin, Ted Hartke.
Ted, good to see you.
Good seeing you too, Chad.
Thanks for having me on, friend.
I want you to just sit down and be able to relax for a few minutes because
You're running around everywhere.
And you were saying that you got a nice midsummer tan, maybe a midsummer burn, running around spreading the gospel of extra innings.
And I know that it's something that you're so passionate about.
And we're going to talk about another great event coming up on Saturday that we're very proud to be part of.
But before we talk about the event specifically, it's always good to, for the folks that may not have heard of extra innings, to get a little thumbnail sketch on who you are, what you do because
It is a fantastic organization.
What is extra innings?
I appreciate it, Chad.
Extra innings, folks, is a charity I started up three years ago.
It's local.
The reason why I started it is, and for 24 years prior to that, I raised funds for American Cancer Society and St.
Jude's and all the big national ones, and they all do a great job.
Okay, I know that, and a lot of folks have been helped by them.
It just wasn't a good fit for me anymore.
I was tired.
I'll be honest.
I was tired of supporting their large salaries and the fact that the money would leave our community.
You didn't know where it went.
So.
I decided to start our own charity.
It's a homegrown charity.
It's called extra innings right here in Washington, Wisconsin is the charter.
Um, a 501 C three and unique thing about us is it's part of our bylaws.
It's also obviously with the state we're ready and we are licensed and part of our bylaw state that we have no salaries.
This is truly, uh, a volunteer ism organization.
It's a
blood and sweat.
A lot of
blood sweat.
I
mean, it's not.
Not that much, you talk about the work
and
the incredible work that you're doing.
And the main thing too, member, is not only are we raising funds, but the money stays here.
It helps out our local cancer patients, okay?
And you
told us so many wonderful stories about the lives you've touched.
Yeah.
Have you had any new stories maybe recently that you'd like to share?
My mind is just spinning right now.
I got so much going on.
But we help people a couple ways, folks.
Obviously, a fundraiser is what?
One who raises funds.
I'm not a fundraiser.
You know what I'm saying?
And you know this.
We are a movement.
This is a movement, folks.
The reason why I say that, and that's a bold statement, but listen to me for a second, please.
Pull over on the side of the road and listen, okay?
Fundraisers raise fund monies.
Well, we do raise money, and the money's gonna help out cancer patients through the Aspiris Cancer Foundation, through the Marshfield Clinic Pediatric Oncology Foundation, and also through Joshua's Camp, which is a children's cancer camp.
So those are all dear to me.
We'll get back to that.
But we're more than a fundraiser.
because at our big event in September coming up, it's called the Celebration of Life.
It goes all day long in addition to raising funds and helping folks with cancer and folks who have beaten cancer, we're celebrating their lives.
That's why it's called a Celebration of Life, get it?
Okay.
However, at the end of the day, we also remember our fallen angels, our loved ones lost to cancer.
And that's just as important as basically the other buckets.
So you're raising funds, but we're also,
How many people do we help by remembering their loved ones lost to cancer?
And that doesn't cost us a penny.
And the way we do that at the event, as you know, Chad, is at six o'clock at night is our luminary service where we light candles, we have a small prayer service, and we remember our loved ones lost to cancer.
John Q. Public, you come out, you can nominate folks, you can go on our website, you can nominate folks there for the Luminary Service.
I'm one of many people who are proud to and be honored to read their names, and this year we're also adding a photo on our wall that you can also submit photographs, bring a photograph and put it on the photo on our wall.
Very powerful, and we're all gonna cry.
And a lot of people out there need
this, need this.
And another aspect of what you do, and I think, you know, you talk about buckets, there's always buckets.
I think for groups that are doing the incredible work of trying to find cures, but at the same time I love the aspect of what you do is that There are folks that are right now fighting right now within their families whether it's a parent a grandparent a child and They're fighting it right now and and that's what you're doing is is adding
a little support,
it's a little joy.
And hope.
And hope.
You know, and that's what it's about, you know, giving people something back.
Going back to stories, one of my favorite stories was in year one and I'll take this with me to my grave.
What a beautiful guy and a beautiful family, but a gentleman came and volunteered at our event.
He volunteered at the beer stand at 10 o'clock.
I always remember that morning and he showed up to serve beer and of course I'm running around with my hair on fire.
I've got 10,000 things to do, checking people in.
So I told him, I said, I want to hear how things are going with you and your wife.
His wife had stage four cancer.
She was 30, he was 32.
A couple of hours go by, he comes up to me and now he's holding a little guy in his arms.
I'm going, you didn't have him earlier.
And he goes, no, Ted, I want to thank you though.
You made this a miraculous day.
And I was like, that's a pretty bold statement.
So I kind of shunned it by said, talk to me.
What's going on with your wife?
And he told me some just harrowing stories about how, you know, it's so hard keeping normalcy.
The kids are too young, five and three to understand what mom is going through.
But the same token, when mom falls on the ground, she has to lay in the kitchen floor and the kids and the kids play around her.
The daddy comes home to pick her up.
The end was near.
So the her parents moved in with them to help out to keep normalcy because he had to work.
That particular day, while he was out serving beer, she woke up from her morning nap and wanted to come to the event to celebrate life.
So the parents brought her and the kids out and I immediately said, you know, me, Chad, where is she at?
I'd love to meet her.
And he said too late, Ted, you already missed her, but that's okay.
He pulls out his phone.
That year I had Jerry Schmidt.
I got music too, folks.
Jerry Schmidt was playing at noon that year and he plays this video on his phone to me and shows his wife dancing with their three year old son and real slow dance.
And it was really moving.
And then at the end of the video, he turns the phone off.
He turns to me says, Ted, that's why I called a miraculous.
And he thanked me for giving her her last dance with her son.
And he has an on memory.
I'm recording.
And I was like, I was blown away, folks.
And that's why we're doing this.
We're helping people.
And that didn't cost a penny.
We just get we get.
We provided an opportunity for them to make memories.
And we will have more with Ted Hartke.
Talk about Saturday's big fundraiser with extra innings in just a few minutes at 752 here on 98.9 WXCO.
It is mornings with Pat Kratlow.
WXCO morning report on 98.9 WXCO.
I am Chad Holmson.
We are continuing our conversation with Ted Hartke, executive director of Extra Innings, who has a special cancer fundraiser on Saturday.
Ice Cream for the Cure cancer fundraiser.
It'll be from 10 a.m.
until 2 p.m.
this Saturday at JoJo's Jungle on Statine Drive in Warsaw.
Ice Cream for the Cure.
That was a stroke of genius.
It was.
It's just
a pun on words,
folks.
Ramen and ice cream, so I figured.
July, hot Saturday.
Let's have fun.
Let's
create a loving environment.
So what we're going to do out there, uh, JoJo's this Saturday, 10 a.m.
It starts.
We're going to have the radio stations there broadcasting live.
So we're going to have party music.
Uh, we're going to have face painters for kids.
We're going to be giving out ice cream and we're going to be also serving hot dogs and hamburgers hot at the grill.
And we're just going to have fun from 10 to two.
And again, helping.
raising funds for cancer patients, but this is unique because we're really tapping into the kids.
And I want
the kids to know more about what we're doing and families to know more about extra endings because still most people don't know about me.
We're relatively new.
We're not united way.
We're a small charity, but I think we're doing it the right way.
And it's called extra endings.
So if you get a chance, please come out Saturday, meet me.
I'd love to meet you and hear your stories, folks.
And that's another aspect of what you do.
And you say it, it's not just about coming out.
And I'm sure that, you know, any donation is so welcomed.
But for you, again, it's about those stories.
It's about finding out about what the journey has been like for these folks and.
I guess, you know, again, it's such a wide swath.
I guess the word I would use is humanity.
It's humanity.
It's, you know, spreading love.
Um, you know, like, you know, Jesus taught us to do and, uh, and help others.
And, uh, I never know who I'm going to be speaking to
Chad,
like you, when I met you, I didn't, I didn't know Chad, believe it or not, folks, because I came from Ohio a couple of years ago, but I've learned Chad, he's a great, he's a great human being.
And, uh, um, that's what I'm talking about.
When I talk to people, I don't know who I'm going to talk to.
I, I may be talking to somebody who all of a sudden then tells me a great, you know, something happened in their life or how they've been impacted, or maybe they want to help or maybe.
they're a face painter on the side, or maybe they want to be an employer sponsor of basic of our events, or maybe they work for an employer and they can help spread the word or they know a group of people or their neighbor who's mourning the loss of her husband.
And would this be great for her?
She needs to hear about this.
Please share it with her.
It's just amazing.
You don't know who.
Who you're gonna meet and what their stories are unless you open your mouth and you talk a little bit
let me Give you the opportunity because you said it is there's so many aspects to it But the financial aspect it allows the group the extra Indians to help these folks and we've talked in the past about sending the kids to the camp which is so heartwarming But you need the support and the thing about it is you said it when they hear about it
There's people that wanna help.
If there's somebody out there right now, whether they are an individual, a group, a company, what do they need to think
about and do?
Well, there's a couple things.
There are three ways you can help.
Three ways.
One, you can be a sponsor.
If you're a business, you can be a sponsor, but individuals can sponsor through a donation or it could be a raffle basket or it could be an auction item.
I literally this morning answered a Facebook messenger to a person I met at the Iowa Car Show this week.
She's so compassionate and wants to help.
She wants to make chocolate chip cookies.
And she went to bring a couple of tins to our event to give out to people.
And I said, absolutely, please.
See, there are so many ways people can help.
It's not always about money.
But if you are a sponsor, you know, I'm always looking for good sponsors to jump on board.
Like this weekend, where you got to thank our two big sponsors, new sponsors, Barrett Financial and the Mosquito Authority are both helping cover the cost of our ice cream social.
Got
the burgers, got the buns, got the food, got the ice cream.
I mean, again, it adds up quickly and we don't want it to be all on your shoulders.
We want to have folks help as well.
So
that was the one way.
Remember I said three ways.
That's
easy to remember.
Three things when you, when, when you end up changing the station after an hour or whatever, three things.
One, you can be a sponsor.
Two, you can be a volunteer.
Volunteers are hard to come by and folks.
I don't pay volunteers.
I mean, that's an oxymoron.
I don't understand that.
Everybody nowadays is paying for volunteers.
Paying the volunteers is truly, you talk about opposites.
I don't understand
it.
To me,
Volunteer in honor of a loved one lost to cancer.
Even if you didn't know the person, maybe it was grandma, and you never got to know her.
You know, donate an hour of your time in honor of her.
You know, what a great way to remember her.
And you're being involved, and trust me, you will be rewarded, you know, emotionally, and we're gonna have so much fun at all of our events.
And there's many ways you can volunteer and you can always reach out to me.
And then the third way is just, you know, coming and supporting us if you just wanna walk around.
You know, our events are different.
Everyone goes to like chalk fest, balloon fest, the glow.
You know, I owe a car show.
And what do they all have in common?
You're going to spend money.
You're going to, you know, whatever, parking, admission, walking around, buying food, buying drink, listening to music, having a good time and going home.
That's great.
Hopefully it's going for a good cause too.
Our event.
does that, but more because at our event, you're also gonna cry.
And
that's the
big thing, you know?
And I mean cry because of our luminary service.
You're gonna feel.
And you're gonna feel, and that's important.
And you're gonna help people feel.
We all can be there and we can lend a shoulder to people who are hurting.
So that's what I'm trying to do, create a better community here in Warsaw.
If you like what we're doing, please, I implore you to get involved with us, make us better, help us.
help others.
And how can they make that donation?
Okay.
Um, on our website, there's, uh, we have a, um, w w w dot extra innings.
for Wisconsin.
So
extra innings is all one and then the dash.
W I dot com
and right there on the page, there's ways you can.
Oh, you can donate.
You can also sponsor.
You can, you can sign up to be a volunteer.
Another way is look me up on Facebook and you can reach out through Facebook messenger against extra innings or my name.
I also have an account and Ted Hartke, H A R T K E. Thirdly, I'll give you my phone number right now.
Uh, you can tell you how
I'm not afraid of meeting people.
My number is
715-409-1302-409-1302.
And good morning.
Welcome back.
It is the WXCO morning report.
Part of mornings with Pat Krightlow on 98.9 WXCO online at wxco.fm mobile devices and Alexa by searching WXCO and on the Civic Media app.
It's a very mild start here in North Central Wisconsin.
The time is 823.
Right now, partly cloudy skies, 74 degrees, but it is a sticky 74 degrees out there.
It is thick out there.
It certainly is.
Relative humidity of 85%, so it's really feeling, I think, warmer than it is.
And when you do have that...
hot and sticky weather that obviously means there's that potential of some thunderstorms.
And in fact, as we get later into tonight and especially into tomorrow, it does look like we could have some thunderstorms.
And when you do have the hot and humid weather, sometimes that juice, that stew gets together for some serious thunderstorms.
So we'll keep an eye on that and if there are any severe.
thunderstorms or severe weather that goes through central Wisconsin will certainly pass it along to you here on 98.9 WXCO.
Well,
I'm glad I don't have rehearsal tonight.
We actually took the night, we're actually taking the night off and switching our Tuesday rehearsal to the Wednesday rehearsal and Wednesday is actually
Supposed to be a little bit nicer.
I don't know tomorrow supposed to be very wet tomorrow But maybe not quite as not as much of a chance of severe weather.
So
maybe
that's the key I mean doesn't matter if it's raining outside as long as there's no severe weather So
yeah,
hopefully yeah, actually maybe it'll be better tomorrow without that quite as high of a risk of severe weather, but very
good
indeed It is
the 15th day of July of 2025.
A quick note that coming up tonight, weather permitting, and I think we should be okay with the weather.
We do have Wausau American Legion softball as Wausau post 10 will take on Marshfield at the Sunnyvale softball complex.
First pitch is set for 630 and the pregame show starts at 620.
So that again, that's Wausau American Legion softball against Marshfield tonight 620 airtime right here on 98.9
WXCO online at wxco.fm mobile devices and Alexa by searching WXCO and on the civic media app Also in the first hour, I hope you were able to tune in to my discussion with Ted Hartke from the group extra innings a terrific local charity that provides help
and provide support to families here in Central Wisconsin that are battling cancer.
And we at 98.9 WXCO, myself very happy to be part of this event coming up on Saturday from 10 a.m.
until 2 p.m.
extra innings and 98.9 WXCO ice cream for the cure cancer fundraiser.
It will be held at Jojo's Jungle, which is at 4,200s to Teen Drive in Wausau.
Ice cream grilled food face painting music and the thing about what we had in the first hour on this program myself and Ted Harky is we did not have the entire conversation because limited a little bit by time here in the mornings
So what we did
is we actually when we were not on the air we had more time to what talk and you can go to our YouTube channel
go to youtube.com and go to the 98.9 WXEL channel at youtube.com and you can listen in and watch.
the entire conversation between myself and Ted Harky.
So we talked about more of what Extra Innings is doing, more about some of the stories of the success, more about this event coming up on Saturday.
So again, I would encourage you to get more information on Extra Innings by going to youtube.com and go to the 98.9 WXCO channel.
And you can listen to the unedited version of our conversation.
And also if you want to go back and see any of the
segments here on our WXCO morning report, you'll be able to do that as well.
So again, go to youtube.com and the 98.9 WXCO channel and watch.
and listening to my conversation with Ted Hartke.
And hopefully I would love to see you out on Saturday.
I'll be broadcasting live from 10 a.m.
until noon and be out at JoJo's Jungle for the big fundraiser ice cream for the cure.
So again, if you have an opportunity, come on out.
Bring the kids.
It'll be a lot of fun, a lot of great food, a lot of great entertainment.
And just stop by and say hello and do your...
part, a little bit of pushing, you know, the rock forward in terms of the battle and also the support of folks who are battling cancer.
And I said to Ted that one of the aspects about this organization that is so positive is that you have some wonderful groups that are looking for cures, trying to find the cures to some of these cancers.
But there are folks that are suffering right now.
families and children and grandparents and parents and they are fighting the battle against cancer right now and the future is today and for a group like this to be able to provide
joy and support, uh, like extra innings does, I think is just a wonderful, wonderful thing for Ted and his organization to do.
So again, if you're able to come by and, uh, be part of this fundraiser Saturday from 10 a.m.
until 2 p.m.
Again, ice cream for the cure cancer fundraiser at JoJo's jungle, 4,200s to teen drive in Warsaw.
Maybe you can get Ian Welsh out there.
Oh,
I was certainly you love that.
I know because you, uh,
you
not only work for us, but you work for wave 100.5.
And they're also sponsoring this event as well.
So, so, uh, be, you, you, I think you're, you should be double responsible for, for being there on, on Saturday.
I agree.
Absolutely.
And I think, and I
think folks, and I think folks that, uh, want to see Ian Welsh in the flesh.
I think you got to get out there and provide a little for the folks out there that hear your voice every day.
I
want to meet you.
There you go.
I
mean, they see you on stage.
They hear you on the radio.
Now we want to see you out of character, away from work, and
just
out in the jungle, as they say.
The time is 8.29 coming up.
Dan Schaefer will be talking to Pat Kratlow.
They'll go into the recombobulation area coming up after an information update.
News, weather and sports straight ahead.
The time is 8 30 74 degrees in downtown Wasaw.
It's the WXCO morning report on 98.9 WXCO.
It is the WXCO morning report.
Part of mornings with Pat Cricklow on 98.9 WXCO online at wxco.fm.
Open devices and Alexa by searching WXCO and on the Civic Media app.
I am Chad Holm 76 degrees is the temperature a human start as well with a potential of some thunderstorms later into the evening and then especially tomorrow as well.
We'll keep you up to speed on the weather throughout the day.
top and bottom of every hour here on Civic Media and 98.9 WXCO.
Also with me is Ian Walsh and Ian.
I forgot to give you the topic for our number for the day quiz, which we'll have here in just a few minutes.
I'll be ready for it.
Well, I'll give it to you now and you can stew on it for a few minutes.
Okay.
Tonight is the Major League Baseball All-Star Game and that will be the topic, the All-Star Game for baseball.
Major League Baseball all start.
Yep.
That will be the topic coming up Also wanted to let people know that coming up on Thursday a couple of events that you may want to partake in During the noon hour on Thursday.
There will be another rally over at Congressman Tom Tiffany's office on Stewart Avenue in Wasaw Obviously, there are a few folks that are not thrilled with Congress Congressman Tiffany and his vote on the so-called big beautiful bill
that was passed by the Congress and signed by the President of the United States recently.
And the Marathon County Democratic Party is going to rally to let Tom Tiffany know that there are a few folks that would like him to think a little deeper before making folks that will take away such things as health coverage and other social safety net programs.
So if you want to let your voice be heard coming up on Thursday,
Toxic Tom's office over on Steward Avenue in Wausau.
There will be a chance to let the Congressman see you.
So come on out from noon until 1.30 p.m.
Again, that's 2620 Steward Avenue in Wausau.
And you can also actually make an appointment and visit the Congressman's staff.
Usually the congressman won't be there himself to meet with some of the folks that are constituents, but nevertheless, you can also try to make an appointment as well.
But come on out Thursday, 12 noon until 1.30 p.m.
Stewart Avenue and Wausau outside Tom Tiffany's office.
Also coming up on Thursday, one of the issues that just...
sticks around.
It's going to stick around until something permanent is done, but it's the idea of fair maps, and the maps have been improved in recent years, but at the same time, can't fall asleep on it.
And coming up on Thursday at the Marathon County Public Library, there will be a Fair Maps Community Hearing, and the League of Women Voters of Marathon County.
will be part of that event as well.
So stop on by, hear about what legislation is being thought about, let your voice be heard on ideas that you may have as well at the Marathon County Public Library Thursday evening at 6 p.m.
again 300 1st Street in Wasaw as again it's not that far off from the next
census and the next changing of the maps and we've seen the importance of having fairer maps and I think that you could argue that you're not still completely fair but at the same time steps have been taken forward and the work continues so again a fair maps community hearing Marathon County Public Library Thursday at 6 p.m.
300 1st Street right here in downtown Wasaw
So again, there's always ways you can be involved.
And I think that's something that we need to always let people know.
It could be writing a letter to your congressman, making a phone call, or letting your voice be heard through a letter to the editor, or a phone call to a radio station.
If you listen throughout the course of the day and night here on 98.9WXCO, every one of the shows allows you to call in and let your voice be heard.
If there's an issue that you want to talk about, we want to hear about it here on civic media.
So again, there could be times where it's frustrating, where you feel like we're going in the wrong direction or your voice isn't being heard.
Well, there are ways to let your voice be heard.
And that's the only way that democracy will continue is to fight for your beliefs, fight for the system.
and fight for what is right and what is good.
So again, take part in these events coming up on Thursday.
All right, well, let's see if you can make a two in a row here to start off the week with the number, number for the day quiz as we always wrap up the show with the number for the day quiz, something to think about as you get into the rest of your day.
And so far this week, Ian is one for one.
Yes, I am.
We give him three choices, one of which is correct.
with the topic of our number for the day.
So based on the math, 33% is always the bottom rung.
If you're above 33%, it's a passing grade.
If you're below 33%, it's a failing grade.
Then, of course, we want better than that.
We want to have a winning week.
And a winning week is more right than wrong.
So three out of five.
An A grade is getting four out of five.
And then of course a perfect week.
Get the big gold star for those five out of five, five out of five.
But tonight it's another edition of the major league baseball all-star game.
Okay.
And the all-star games have been going on for a while.
Our number for the day today is what year was the first major league baseball all-star game?
It, uh, what year?
It took place in Chicago at Komiski Park.
But what year was the first Major League Baseball All-Star game?
Okay,
all right.
Your choices are 1933, 1943, 1953.
1933, 43 or
53.
The first Major League Baseball All-Star game took place in Chicago, but 1933, 43, 53.
You know what I'm gonna say Seems like boy, I'm trying to overthink this but it's hard Go with your gut
as you
always do.
Okay a final answer I'm gonna say 53 final answer 1953
The first Major League Baseball All-Star Game took place on July the 6th of 1933.
Oh, the smallest one.
Yep.
Babe Ruth hit a home run in that game.
First home run in All-Star Game history.
Oh, it didn't make it that time.
One for two.
You're still doing all right.
Yes, I am.
All right.
Well, thanks again.
We'll see
you tomorrow.
See you tomorrow.
See you tomorrow, Chad.
Happy Tuesday, everybody.
Mantanare on air coming up next here on 98.9 WXCO.
