CHILTON (NBC 26) — This weekend the ball diamonds will be packed at Nennig Park in Chilton. It's the annual Matt Kolbe Baseball, Softball, and Bean Bag Tournament, inspired by a guy whose love for life and smiles were contagious.
"I certainly wish he was here with us today," said Luke Kolbe, Matt's younger brother. "He brought so many people together with his loving attitude. A lot of his involvement in the community was through sports, but that was just his medium to express his love for others. He was an amazing person that just brought love to everyone he met."
The tournament is just one way the Kolbe family is honoring their son who had Down syndrome, as sadly Matt passed away about 10 years ago.
"We were so blessed to have been his parents," said Sandi Kolbe, Matt's mom. "God did us a favor. He was our world."
Matt's love for sports is one of the reasons the ball tournament is so fitting. He played little league baseball as a kid; competed in several Special Olympics sports; and was the manager for several sports teams at Chilton High School.
The family said the tournament is a chance for teams to play like Matt. You can stop by Nennig Park in Chilton June 25-26. On Saturday, they'll also have Matt's Field of Dreams game. That's when people of all abilities, ages 4 to 78, will take the field with the help of Angels. The game is similar to what many know as Miracle League. They will also have a special balloon release shortly before the game.
This weekend they are raising money for the Matt Kolbe Memorial Fund, which includesa scholarshipas well as donations for other local charities and organizations (like Special Olympics).
You can learn more about who Matt was in the video above, as well as hear more from family and friends.
