Brewers team up with Milwaukee Police Department to launch nostalgic initiative aimed at connecting kids with the community

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- It's the return of a nostalgic tradition for America's pastime.

The Milwaukee Brewers are launching a beloved initiative aimed at connecting children with local police.

For the first time in years, City of Milwaukee officers will be able to hand out baseball cards to kids, featuring everyone on the team from Willy Adames to Christian Yelich.

"This is something that's been asked for so many times," said Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman, who as a child, used to collect cards from law enforcement. "I guess decades later, I still remember it!"

Now 440,000 cards are getting ready for distribution.

"This is where we are building relationships, again connecting not only with the community but with our youth," Chief Norman said. "To be able to have this type of partnership again, it's definitely a pleasing moment for all of us just to be able to be a part of this activity."

For Rick Schlesinger, the Brewers president of business operations, connection is the key word.

"This is a way for them to be in the community doing something fun, handing out cards instead of tickets, and just interacting with the people they live and work with," Schlesinger said. "It's a good way for the fans to get connected to the Brewers and have better connections with the police, and it's a win-win for everybody."

While Schlesinger doesn't recall why exactly the initiative ended in the first place, he added the important part is that it is once again coming back. 

"It's intimidating and sometimes scary for kids to be interacting with police and this is an opportunity to say, hey, these are good interactions," Schlesinger said. "As long as people are enjoying it and as long as it works and as long as it makes connections, we'll do it."

Next year, the Brewers are planning to launch the cards before the start of the season rather than toward the end.