Annual celebrity softball game returns to home of the Florence Y’alls Thursday

LEADING THE WAY. AND WELCOME BACK. SINCE 1988, THIS TRADITION HAS BEEN GOING ON. IT’S BACK THIS YEAR AT THE FLORENCE Y’ALLS STADIUM. THIS WEEK, THE 35TH ANNUAL CELEBRITY SOFTBALL CLASSIC. HAPPENING THIS COMING THURSDAY. AND A FAMILIAR FACE IS ALSO EXPECTED TO TAKE PART. THAT’S RIGHT, WLWT METEOROLOGIST ADAM BURNISTON WILL STEP UP TO THE PLATE FOR A GOOD CAUSE. AND HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE EXCITING EVENT. WILLIAM COLE KOHLER AND MAX JOHNSON, THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE WITH US. THANKS FOR HAVING US. ABSOLUTELY. WELL, THIS I KNOW IS ALWAYS A FUN EVENT. I WAS A PART OF IT YEARS AND YEARS AGO. MAX, LET ME START WITH YOU. TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE EVENT AND WHAT IT MEANS TO THE Y’ALLS. YEAH, THIS EVENT MEANS A LOT. IT BRINGS PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER TO RAISE FUNDS FOR A LOT OF DIFFERENT CHARITIES IN THIS GREATER CINCINNATI AREA, BRINGING IN THESE THESE ATHLETES AND THESE LOCAL CELEBRITIES IN TO PARTICIPATE AND JUST HAVE A GOOD TIME AT A, YOU KNOW, A BEAUTIFUL STADIUM AND HAVE A GREAT NIGHT FOR EVERYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY. OF COURSE, IT’S A FAMILY FUN EVENT. SO WHAT KINDS OF ACTIVITIES CAN YOU EXPECT FOR THE KIDS? YEAH, SO WE HAVE OUR INFLATABLES THAT’LL BE UP. WE’LL HAVE ROLLING OUT IN THE OUTFIELD BEYOND THE SOFTBALL GAME PRESENTED BY MADDIE’S HOUSE. AND WE’LL ALSO HAVE OUR BASKETBALL COURTS AVAILABLE FOR THE KIDS AND THEN THE PLAYERS. SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS IS ALWAYS IN THE CELEBRITY. SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS IS ALWAYS A KEY HIT FOR THE KIDS EACH AND EVERY DAY. AND THEN CLOSING OUT THE SHOW WILL BE A DRONE SHOW BY ROZZI’S FAMOUS FIREWORKS. OH, THEY ALWAYS DO SUCH A GOOD JOB. BILL, I WANT TO BRING YOU IN HERE. YOU’RE KIND OF IN CHARGE OF THE CELEBRITY SOFTBALL CLASSIC. YOU’VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A LONG TIME. TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT PEOPLE CAN EXPECT THAT DAY AND THE CHARITIES THAT ARE GOING TO BENEFIT. WELL, THE CHARITIES ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT. THAT’S WHY WE DO THIS AND THAT’S WHY WE’VE DONE IT FOR 35 YEARS, STARTING A LONG TIME AGO. AND WE HAVE SOME OF THE FINEST CHARITIES IN GREATER CINCINNATI. I BELIEVE, STARTING WITH DRAGONFLY AND THE JAVONTE WOODS FOUNDATION. MATTHEW 25 MINISTRIES, DOWN SYNDROME OF GREATER CINCINNATI, MADDIE’S HOUSE, HOLDING HANDS, CHILDREN’S DYSLEXIA CENTER, CINCINNATI ANIMAL CARE IS GOING TO BE DOING A GREAT JOB. WE HAVE A NICE SAY CHEESE PHOTO BOOTH SO YOU CAN COME GET PICTURES TAKEN WITH PUPPIES AND CELEBRITIES. AND SO EVERYBODY LIKES THAT. AND THEN WE HAVE EPILEPSY ALLIANCE WHO IS ON BOARD. AND THOSE ARE THE NINE CHARITIES THAT BENEFIT FROM THIS EVENT IMPACTING SO MANY LIVES OVER THE DECADES. THROUGH THIS SOFTBALL GAME. NOW, WHAT DO PEOPLE WHO ARE HEADING OUT TO FLORENCE NEED TO KNOW BEFORE GAME DAY? BRING A FUN ATTITUDE. OKAY, EVERYBODY THAT PLAYS IN THIS GAME, THEY MIGHT NOT BE THE BIGGEST SUPERSTARS, BUT THEY’RE THE FUNNEST. WE HAVE A LOT OF FUN WITH THESE FOLKS, AND EVERY YEAR I JUST I USED TO LIVE IN FLORENCE AND I JUST FEEL LIKE THE FLORENCE Y’ALLS IS ONE OF THE BEST KEPT SECRETS, ESPECIALLY WHEN I HAD LITTLE KIDS. I JUST LOVED BRINGING MY KIDS OUT THERE. IT WAS EASY, YOU KNOW? IT WASN’T LIKE YOU HAD TO MAKE THEM SIT IN THE SEAT BECAUSE THERE WERE PLENTY OF THINGS FOR KIDS TO DO. DEFINITELY. YOU KNOW, PARKING IS FREE. EASE OF ACCESS IN AND OUT OF THE STADIUM IS ALWAYS GREAT. YOU KNOW, WE’RE HOME ALL SEASON LONG, BUT THIS EVENT MEANS A LOT TO US, ESPECIALLY DURING THIS TIME, DURING THE ALL STAR BREAK, ALL THE PLAYERS HAVE GONE HOME. AND YOU KNOW, WE BRING THIS EVENT TOGETHER JUST TO KEEP, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING KIND OF GOING THROUGHOUT THE SEASON TO GET READY FOR THE SECOND HALF, TO PROMOTE OURSELVES, TO PROMOTE THESE CHARITIES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND TO PUT ON A GREAT SHOW FOR EVERYONE. WELL, MATT AND BILL, THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE AND FOR ALL THAT YOU DO IN THE COMMUNITY, AND ESPECIALLY TO HELP ALL OF THESE REALLY AMAZING CHARITIES THAT ARE IMPACTING LIVES. THANKS AGAIN FOR BEING HERE. THE CELEBRITY SOFTBALL EVENT TAKING PLA