Altoona Elementary teacher gets surprise award from Brewers' 'famous racing sausages'
ALTOONA — The Milwaukee Brewers' famous frozen racing sausages found themselves out of the ballpark on Tuesday, as the quintet paid a visit to Altoona Elementary School to honor a local teacher.
Kids in the gymnasium who met all five of the sausages screamed with excitement to hear one of their teachers named as a recipient of the Grand Slam Teacher Award: third-grade teacher Alayna Deignan. Altoona staff and the Brewers kept it a secret until they met with the school that morning.
'It was a super shocking surprise, but it feels very good,' Deignan said. 'I am just very humbled to know that all of my hard work as a teacher has paid off and is recognized by others. And I am a lifelong Brewers' fan; I even have a dog named Bernie.'
Rick Schlesinger, president of business operations for the Brewers, said their tour to Wisconsin schools started a few months ago in Madison and Green Bay, as now they find themselves in Eau Claire County.
'The goal is to eventually, over several years, go to all 72 counties, bringing the sausages, bringing a little excitement to the schools, honoring teachers and bringing a little Brewers love around the state,' he said.
'What the Brewers organization is trying to do is honor someone who has done amazing work, and that hard work pays off,' said Altoona Elementary Principal Leslie Lancette.
'Them getting to see their teacher get recognized for doing an amazing job also speaks to them for something that they can strive to be in the future. But additionally, I think it is also something for them to see a bigger organization like that coming in and supporting our school.'
As part of their tour honoring teachers and visiting area schools to meet the teachers where they are at, Schlesinger said he has seen a lot from their first year doing this surprise 'famous racing sausage' tour.
'What you see is genuine enthusiasm from the kids,' he said. 'They are very excited about the sausages obviously, but what is most inspiring is how excited they are for the teachers. When the teacher here won the award, you heard the screams and saw the smiles from all the kids and they really appreciated their teachers.
'Those are great bonds, and I think teachers are the unsung heroes in our country. It is nice to give them a little recognition for what they do. They are raising the next sausages, the next Brewers fans and next Brewers players, so it is great to give them recognition.'
As well as recognizing Deignan, the Brewers also honored the school with a $1,000 gift.
Before departing to another school in La Crosse, Brat, Polish sausage, Italian sausage, Hot Dog and Chorizo did a lap through the school hallways while high fiving students along the way.
'It was cool to experience with my class as well as the other third graders and my teaching team,' Deignan said. 'Just to be able to experience it all together and have them share in the moment with me was more valuable to me than just receiving an award on my own.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Upturn
2 hours ago
- Business Upturn
Al Hilal submit official bid to Napoli for Victor Osimhen
Al Hilal is desperate in signing Victor Osimhen as they want a new striker in their squad. By Ravi Kumar Jha Published on June 6, 2025, 08:34 IST Al Hilal is desperate in signing Victor Osimhen as they want a new striker in their squad. Al Hilal has also submitted a bid to sign him. €65m + €5m in add-ons have been submitted to Napoli. It is now to the Serie A side whether they want to sell their striker for this price or they want to ask for more. Saudi Pro League giants Al Hilal have made a bold move in the summer transfer market by submitting a formal bid for Napoli star Victor Osimhen. The Riyadh-based club have tabled an offer worth €65 million plus €5 million in add-ons, showing their intent to strengthen their attack ahead of the new season. Al Hilal are desperate to land a top-class striker, and Osimhen has emerged as their primary target. The Nigerian forward has been on the radar of several clubs following his impressive performances for Napoli in recent seasons, including helping them win the Serie A title in 2022–23. It is now up to Napoli to decide whether they will accept the offer or hold out for a higher fee. The Italian club have previously been reluctant to let Osimhen go for anything less than his release clause, believed to be significantly higher than the current bid. With Al Hilal pushing hard to close the deal, all eyes are now on Napoli and how they respond in the coming days. Ravi kumar jha is an undergraduate student in Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia and Mass Communication. A media enthusiast who has a strong hold on communication and he also has a genuine interest in sports. Ravi is currently working as a journalist at
San Francisco Chronicle
3 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Brazil draws 0-0 with Ecuador in World Cup qualifying in Ancelotti's debut as coach
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil held Ecuador to a 0-0 draw Thursday in a South American World Cup qualifying game that marked Carlo Ancelotti's debut as national team coach. The match in Guayaquil offered few scoring opportunities for either team, and featured once again a Brazilian lineup that struggled to be creative. Ecuador edged closer to one of the direct World Cup spots by maintaining second place in the round robin competition with 24 points. Brazil is in fourth place with 22 points. The top six teams in South America qualify automatically for the World Cup next year in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Also Thursday, Paraguay moved into third spot in the standings with 24 points after a 2-0 home win over Uruguay, which dropped to fifth. Matías Galarza scored the opener in the 13th minute and Julio Enciso added a second from the spot in the 81st. World Cup champion Argentina, which has already secured its place at the 2026 global tournament, was playing 10th-place Chile later Thursday. Ancelotti's changes AnceIottti made a lot of lineup changes compared with his predecessor, Dorival Júnior, who was fired after the team's 4-0 defeat at Argentina. The result was a team that successfully blocked the hosts almost all of the match but also failed to be creative and aggressive in offense, a flaw also under Ancelotti's predecessors. The 65-year-old Italian coach gave Vinicius Júnior Brazil's No. 10, brought veteran midfielder Casemiro and striker Richarlison back into the starting lineup, gave a debut to defender Alex and played teenager Estêvão on the left wing as a replacement to suspended Raphinha. Brazil seemed comfortable defending against Ecuador, which is unbeaten in its last 14 home games. The best chance for Ancelotti's team came in the 22nd minute, when Vinicius shot from close range and was stopped by goalkeeper Gonzalo Valle. Ancelotti predicted Brazil won't be as defense-minded next week when it hosts Paraguay in Sao Paulo. 'We will have more opportunities to control the match, have more mobility and intensity,' Ancelotti told a post-match news conference. 'This game was more complicated for the three (strikers). We needed more of an offensive game. But Ecuador defended well.' 'It was a very good match in the defensive stage — I saw the team doing well with the ball, with a more fluid game,' Ancelotti added. 'This was a good draw and we leave here satisfied, with confidence for the next match.' The 33-year-old Casemiro, who played his first match for Brazil in more than a year, was happy to return and play under a coach he enjoyed a lot of success with at Real Madrid. 'Little by little we will grow," Casemiro said. 'We had a strong, solid defensive system tonight.' Vinicius said Ancelotti 'is yet to show his game plan' for Brazil. 'We will manage. The World Cup is right there and we need to be together to do well at the end of South American qualifying and World Cup preparations,' the striker said. Brazil can qualify for the World Cup with a win over Paraguay next week, as long as its cushion over the seventh-place team is larger than six points. Friday's games Colombia takes on Peru and Venezuela challenges Bolivia on Friday. While the Colombians could overtake Brazil in the standings with a win, the Venezuelans and Bolivians will face off in a match that could prove decisive for seventh spot. ___
Hamilton Spectator
3 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Brazil draws 0-0 with Ecuador in World Cup qualifying in Ancelotti's debut as coach
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil held Ecuador to a 0-0 draw Thursday in a South American World Cup qualifying game that marked Carlo Ancelotti's debut as national team coach. The match in Guayaquil offered few scoring opportunities for either team, and featured once again a Brazilian lineup that struggled to be creative. Ecuador edged closer to one of the direct World Cup spots by maintaining second place in the round robin competition with 24 points. Brazil is in fourth place with 22 points. The top six teams in South America qualify automatically for the World Cup next year in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Also Thursday, Paraguay moved into third spot in the standings with 24 points after a 2-0 home win over Uruguay, which dropped to fifth. Matías Galarza scored the opener in the 13th minute and Julio Enciso added a second from the spot in the 81st. World Cup champion Argentina , which has already secured its place at the 2026 global tournament, was playing 10th-place Chile later Thursday. Ancelotti's changes AnceIottti made a lot of lineup changes compared with his predecessor, Dorival Júnior, who was fired after the team's 4-0 defeat at Argentina. The result was a team that successfully blocked the hosts almost all of the match but also failed to be creative and aggressive in offense, a flaw also under Ancelotti's predecessors. The 65-year-old Italian coach gave Vinicius Júnior Brazil's No. 10, brought veteran midfielder Casemiro and striker Richarlison back into the starting lineup, gave a debut to defender Alex and played teenager Estêvão on the left wing as a replacement to suspended Raphinha. Brazil seemed comfortable defending against Ecuador, which is unbeaten in its last 14 home games. The best chance for Ancelotti's team came in the 22nd minute, when Vinicius shot from close range and was stopped by goalkeeper Gonzalo Valle. Ancelotti predicted Brazil won't be as defense-minded next week when it hosts Paraguay in Sao Paulo. 'We will have more opportunities to control the match, have more mobility and intensity,' Ancelotti told a post-match news conference. 'This game was more complicated for the three (strikers). We needed more of an offensive game. But Ecuador defended well.' 'It was a very good match in the defensive stage — I saw the team doing well with the ball, with a more fluid game,' Ancelotti added. 'This was a good draw and we leave here satisfied, with confidence for the next match.' The 33-year-old Casemiro, who played his first match for Brazil in more than a year, was happy to return and play under a coach he enjoyed a lot of success with at Real Madrid . 'Little by little we will grow,' Casemiro said. 'We had a strong, solid defensive system tonight.' Vinicius said Ancelotti 'is yet to show his game plan' for Brazil. 'We will manage. The World Cup is right there and we need to be together to do well at the end of South American qualifying and World Cup preparations,' the striker said. Brazil can qualify for the World Cup with a win over Paraguay next week, as long as its cushion over the seventh-place team is larger than six points. Friday's games Colombia takes on Peru and Venezuela challenges Bolivia on Friday. While the Colombians could overtake Brazil in the standings with a win, the Venezuelans and Bolivians will face off in a match that could prove decisive for seventh spot. The seventh place team in South American qualifying will advance to an intercontinental playoff for a spot in the World Cup. ___ AP soccer:
