THANK YOU FOR THAT INTRODUCTION, GEORGE (DNR Secretary George Meyer). IT’S A GREAT DAY TO BE HERE IN MILWAUKEE. AND I’M HAPPY TO CELEBRATE THE OPENING OF ANOTHER IMPORTANT LINK IN THE STATE TRAIL SYSTEM AS WE CELEBRATE THE CENTENNIAL YEAR FOR OUR STATE PARKS. I’M ALSO HAPPY TO USE THE TRAIL TO HONOR ONE OF WISCONSIN’S TRUE HEROES: HANK AARON. ALL OF OUR STATE PARKS AND TRAILS ARE REAL WINNERS, BUT THE HANK AARON STATE TRAIL HAS RECEIVED NATIONAL RECOGNITION. THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND THE RAILS-TO-TRAILS CONSERVANCY DEVELOPED A DESIGNATION FOR SPECIAL TRAILS THAT REPRESENT THE ESSENCE AND SPIRIT OF EACH OF THE FIFTY STATES.
EACH STATE SUBMITTED SEVERAL NOMINATIONS. HOWEVER, THE HANK AARON STATE TRAIL HAS EARNED THE TITLE OF A MILLENNIUM LEGACY TRAIL BECAUSE OF ITS RESPECTFUL CELEBRATION OF THE PAST, ITS CONNECTION TO THE COMMUNITY, AND ITS FAR-REACHING VISION FOR THE FUTURE. I’M SURE THAT WHEN THE JUDGES WERE DETERMINING WHO WOULD RECEIVE THIS DESIGNATION, THE NAME HANK AARON DIDN’T HURT ITS CHANCES EITHER. WHEN I WAS GROWING UP IN ELROY, MY FAMILY TOOK ONE VACATION EACH YEAR. WE DROVE 140 MILES DOWN TO MILWAUKEE TO GO TO THE STATE FAIR, AND WATCH HANK AARON PLAY RIGHT FIELD FOR MY BELOVED BRAVES. I STILL REMEMBER ONE GAME I ATTENDED IN THE 1950’S WHEN I WAS STILL IN MY TEENS.
THE BRAVES WERE BATTLING TO WIN THE NATIONAL LEAGUE PENNANT AND PLAYED A GAME ON A HOT SUMMER DAY IN AUGUST. THE GAME WENT INTO EXTRA INNINGS. THE BRAVES MANAGED TO GET A COUPLE OF MEN ON BASE IN FRONT OF HAMMERIN’ HANK. AND HANK AARON CAME UP AND RIPPED ONE INTO THE LEFT FIELD BLEACHERS … AND PROVIDED A MEMORY THAT LEFT ONE WISCONSIN TEEN WITH A SMILE ON HIS FACE ALL THE WAY BACK TO ELROY. HE PROVIDED MANY MORE MEMORIES FOR COUNTLESS OTHER WISCONSIN YOUNGSTERS. HANK AARON RETIRED WITH 755 HOME RUNS AND MORE MAJOR LEAGUE BATTING RECORDS THAN ANYONE ELSE IN HISTORY. HE ALSO HOLDS CAREER RECORDS FOR MOST MOST RUNS BATTED IN AND TOTAL BASES.
HE'S ALSO SECOND IN LIFETIME AT BATS AND RUNS, THIRD IN GAMES AND HITS, NINTH IN DOUBLES, 11TH IN SINGLES, AND TIED FOR 14TH IN YEARS OF SERVICE. HE AND YOUNGER BROTHER TOMMIE COMBINED FOR 768 HOME RUNS, THE MOST EVER BY BROTHERS. AN ALL-STAR IN EVERY SEASON HE PLAYED EXCEPT HIS FIRST AND LAST, HE HIT BETWEEN 24 AND 45 HOME RUNS FOR 19 STRAIGHT SEASONS, AVERAGING 33 FROM 1955 THROUGH 1973. HE DROVE IN 100 RUNS 11 TIMES AND SCORED 100 RUNS 15 TIMES. HE WON TWO BATTING TITLES AND FOUR GOLD GLOVES; MOST VALUABLE PLAYER IN 1957, AND IN 1982 WAS INDUCTED INTO THE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME.
HIS CONTRIBUTIONS SINCE HIS HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL BASEBALL CAREER ALSO ARE “HOME RUNS.” HE IS A SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEUR WITH HIS ARBY’S RESTAURANTS AND AUTO DEALERSHIP AND IS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF THE ATLANTA BRAVES. BUT POSSIBLY HIS MOST ADMIRABLE ACHIEVEMENT IS AS THE FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CHASING A DREAM FOUNDATION, WHICH PROVIDES SCHOLARSHIPS TO CHILDREN TO PURSUE EDUCATIONAL AND VOCATIONAL DREAMS. HANK AARON IS A SPORTS HERO INDEED, BUT HE IS ALSO A ROLE MODEL, A HUMANITARIAN, AND A CHASER OF EVEN BIGGER DREAMS. IT IS NO SECRET THAT THE PEOPLE OF MILWAUKEE AND THE ENTIRE STATE OF WISCONSIN HOLD A DEEP AND ABIDING AFFECTION FOR HANK AARON.
TODAY WE WOULD LIKE TO SHOW OUR ADMIRATION BY DEDICATING THIS TRAIL IN YOUR NAME AND BY UNVEILING THE SIGN WHICH WILL MARK THE HANK AARON STATE TRAIL. (YOU, THE OTHER DIGNATARIES AND MR. AARON WILL STEP FORWARD TO UNVEIL THE SIGN. AFTER SIGN UNVEILING, YOU WILL RETURN TO THE PODIUM.) LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MR. HANK AARON.