Photo by Charlene Corson Selbee
In a remarkable demonstration of gratitude and community spirit, Rawlings/Miken Sports has donated $25,000 to the Caledonia Fire Department, honoring the heroic efforts of first responders who battled a devastating fire at the company’s Caledonia facility in October 2023.
The donation was announced at a special ceremony held at the Miken Sports facilities on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. The event brought together city and county officials, fire department personnel and their spouses, and company employees and leadership to recognize the vital partnership between the business and local emergency services.
Senior Director BUL (Business Unit Leader) Mike Rommes introduced the executive team in attendance who do so much to support the operations in Caledonia: Ron Ostrowski, president/CEO; Matt Arndt, chief product officer; Mike Stottler, director, Digital Merchandising; John Baer, SVP Manufacturing and Distribution; Mike Rommes, senior director, BUL (Business Unit Leader) Slowpitch, Bob Diebold, chief revenue officer, and Dylan Kavanaugh, vice president, Omnichannel & Business Strategy.
On behalf of the company’s leadership, Baer welcomed and thanked everyone for attending.
In a press release, Rawlings/Miken Sports expressed sincere gratitude for the response that prevented an even greater loss.
“Rawlings/Miken Sports experienced a large structure fire in October 2023. The fire was a catastrophic loss for one of our buildings and destroyed a large amount of inventory,” the company shared. “The quick response of the Caledonia Fire Department was impressive. The Caledonia Fire Department along with assistance from neighboring fire departments including Spring Grove, Eitzen, Brownsville, Houston and Hokah worked swiftly and tirelessly to save other critical buildings for our operation, including a large warehouse building full of inventory.”
Rommes said that in 2024, they were sitting in meetings talking about what they could do to thank the Caledonia Fire Department. They decided to do what they do best, make bats. In March 2025, the company released a special limited edition Caledonia Fire Department Heroes bat. The company said, “The bat recognizes the bravery and dedication of the Caledonia Fire Department. This is our way of saying thank you to the incredible firefighters who put their lives on the line to protect our community.”
Caledonia Fire Chief Kevin Jacobson was present at the event and took the opportunity to offer a heartfelt public commendation to his entire team. During his remarks, he thanked his men, acknowledging their exceptional performance and commitment to their duties. To illustrate just how dedicated his team is, Chief Jacobson shared an example. On the day of the fire, one of the department’s firefighters was scheduled to be married and he showed up to fight the fire with his colleagues. As it got closer to his wedding, it was his fellow firefighters who had to insist that he leave the scene to ensure he made it to the ceremony on time. The story is a powerful testament to the selflessness, dedication, and strong sense of duty that defines Fillmore and Houston Counties Fire Departments.
Rommes echoed those sentiments: “They are unbelievable. We wanted to give what we could for this. They deserve it.”
The announcement was met with enthusiastic applause from city and county officials and members of the Caledonia Fire Department, Mayor Jeremy Leis expressed his heartfelt appreciation for the town’s fire department in four simple words which says it all, “They are the best.”
In regards to the new distribution center that is currently being built on the site of the fire, Rommes explained, “Not only are we rebuilding, but this building is going to be a gorgeous warehouse for us. These guys give us the resources to make Caledonia a slowpitch distribution hub for Rawlings. We will be shipping everything out of Caledonia. We greatly appreciate all their efforts.”
With its four primary slowpitch brands, Easton, Miken, Worth, and Combat, Rommes explained that even though the warehouse looks big it will be filled with inventory – bats, bags, batting gloves, fielding gloves and softballs.
One more thanks to the Caledonia Fire Department.
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