This summer, the people of Stoughton, Wisconsin, are having a ball!
It all started when a 4-foot multicolored beach ball escaped from someone’s backyard. When a complete stranger discovered it on July 23, they tried locating its owner by posting on their neighborhood Facebook page.
Word spread quickly, but rather than returning to its original owners, the inflatable beach ball started to become an integral part of the community. It wasn’t long before the toy was making its way all over town for random people to interact with.
“From there, people started signing it, sending it around, sending it to different streets,” resident John Thompson said. “It’s just spontaneous, people just love it.”
Since the ball started rolling, it’s become nothing short of a local celebrity! People all over town have taken the time to take selfies with it and post sightings all over social media.
Someone even made a map showing all the locations the ball has been spotted so far!
In fact, this colorful beach ball has become so adored that the people of Stoughton decided to name it!
To make such an important decision, a poll was drawn up. The options? Rolie Polie Ole or Beachy. In the end, Rolie Polie Ole won by a 10 to 1 margin.
No matter the name, the love this community has for Rolie Polie Ole is undeniable. So much so, in fact, that not even leaks and tears can keep them down. Whenever something goes wrong, there’s always someone willing to patch the ball up and send it back down the road – even the fire department!
“Stoughton is kind of eclectic,” another resident, Greg Jensen, said. “We’ve had our fun people and personalities. It seems like things kind of happen spontaneously. It’s fun to see stuff like this instead of the negativity that’s on the social media.”
What’s next for Rolie Polie Ole? The answer to that question varies from person to person. Some popular resonses include naming a park after it or featuring it in their annual citywide festival, Syttende Mai.
“It’s uplifting, as spontaneous as it was,” Greg said. “You’re locked out for a whole year, just having to be so careful. People just ended up saying, ‘Hey, this is so much fun. So spontaneous. Let’s go have some fun with this.'”
We’ll be on the lookout for a beach ball of our own to spread the joy to our community. What a great way to bring people together!
Share the story of Rolie Polie Ole to keep the ball rolling.
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