Georgia company is selling limited-edition baseball bats in honor of Jackson Sparks, 8-year-old Waukesha parade victim
A Georgia baseball bat manufacturer is selling custom bats to honor Jackson Sparks, the 8-year-old Mukwonago boy who was struck and killed in the Waukesha Christmas Parade while he marched with his baseball team.
It is the latest fundraiser amid an outpouring of local and national support for Jackson. All proceeds from sales of the bats will go to his family.
Jackson was the only child to die after a driver plowed his car through the parade Nov. 21, killing six people and injuring more than 60.
Jackson and his 12-year-old brother, Tucker, were both hospitalized. Jackson died from his injuries two days after the parade.
The idea for the bats came about thanks to an inquiry from Ryan Peterson, a coach with Waukesha Blazers Baseball/Fastpitch Softball Club — the organization Jackson and Tucker played for.
Peterson reached out to bat manufacturer Dirty South Bats to ask if the company would send a care package to Tucker, an avid user of its bats.
Dirty South Bats, which Peterson said has an "big following in the travel baseball community," said it could do even better: it could create a limited-edition bat as a fundraiser for the Sparks family.
The final design has a black background with "Waukesha" in blue, "Blazers" in white and "#WaukeshaStrong" in both colors. The bat also includes a small tribute to Jackson, reading, "In memory of Jackson Sparks #23."
The bats sell for $395, every dollar of which will be donated. If you order by Dec. 15, the company expects the package to arrive by Christmas.
See more details and order a bat at dirtysouthbats.com/product/waukesha.
“Seeing the bat take shape meant a lot to all of us, and the support that everyone has seen from across the country has been awe-inspiring," Peterson said.
Last Friday, scores of people across the Milwaukee area and the U.S. donned baseball jerseys to honor Jackson, including high school students, Milwaukee Brewers players and fellow youth baseball families.
A verified GoFundMe for the Sparks family has raised more than $474,000 since it was created.
A GoFundMe page created by the Blazers has raised nearly $30,000. The Blazers organization pledges the money will go toward medical bills for those injured in the parade, mental health resources and counseling for Blazers families, college scholarships for players, a sponsorship program for children who wouldn't be able to play due to financial hardship and a permanent memorial for the parade victims.
The Blazers are also selling special "Blazers Strong" T-shirts and sweatshirts, with proceeds going to its memorial fund. Order apparel at forms.gle/FCaAgBSUCq45t7AM8.
As of Tuesday, three children injured at the parade remained hospitalized at Children's Wisconsin, according to a hospital spokeswoman. All were in fair condition.
Children's initially admitted 16 patients from the parade.
The hospital this week will offer its staff bracelets with blue lights to wear "as a symbol of healing and hope." Waukesha residents have been encouraged to put a blue light outside their home to honor the parade victims.
Contact Sophie Carson at (414) 223-5512 or scarson@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @SCarson_News.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Waukesha Christmas parade: Baseball bats for Jackson Sparks on sale
