MILWAUKEE — It’s that time of year again that the Sawall family sets up camp at the Milwaukee County Zoo. It’s for the annual ‘Snooze at the Zoo’ event organized by the Zoological Society of Milwaukee.

It’s a night filled with fun activities, s’mores, animals, and sleeping inside the zoo. It’s a tradition that the Sawall family has enjoyed together for 25 years.

“We always ask well do you guys still want to do it, they say yeah let’s do it, so let’s go [and] let’s have fun,” Marty Sawall said.

Marty brought his two sons Chris and Daniel to ‘Snooze at the Zoo’ for the first time in 1999 with their grandpa Dale.

Marty Sawall

“I guess he and Marcie, my mother-in-law, decided well maybe you should do that with the boys. That’s a good boys thing. So, when Chris was five he said well we’re going to do this! Let’s go! I said OKAY, let’s go. And then we just kept going. And when the boys were old enough, they’d come along so they were all looking forward to it so they could do it,” Marty explained.

Watch: Local family reflects on 25 years of camping event at Milwaukee County Zoo

Local family reflects on 25 years of camping event at Milwaukee County Zoo

Matthew and the youngest Joshua joined in as they got older. Life has gotten busy for Marty and his four boys, but they still find a way to make it to the zoo each August.

“It doesn’t feel like it went that fast and here they are,” Marty said.

Marty Sawall

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Grandpa Dale doesn’t come anymore because he lives in Florida. However, no matter what the boys make the time to come.

“It’s nice to get the boys together and hang out with them and spend time with them,” Marty said.

His son Daniel said spending time together is the best part.

Marty Sawall

“We just get to come hang out, get to catch up, again, we get to kind of be kids again and that’s just something super fun to enjoy with your dad,” Daniel explained.

The boys hope to continue this tradition together for 25 more years.

“I think it would be a fun time to continue seeing the zoo change and bring little ones as they come…like my nephew Noah,” youngest sibling, Joshua said.

The event for this weekend is sold out but you can click this link for more information.

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Giannis Antetokounmpo is now into his true offseason following Greece’s elimination in the Olympic Games, and on Friday he reacted to a report that the Milwaukee Bucks will not play on Christmas Day for the first time since the 2017-18 season.

Antetokounmpo simply posted on multiple social media platforms, “No Christmas game?!” with a laughing while crying emoji.

Milwaukee, which was bounced from the first-round of the playoffs for the second straight year, was reportedly passed over for the San Antonio Spurs (and Victor Wembanyama), Denver, Dallas, Minnesota, Phoenix, Golden State and the Los Angeles Lakers. New York remains a Christmas Day staple, too, appearing for the 56th time.

The Bucks lost 129-122 to the Knicks in a matinee at Madison Square Garden last Dec. 25, dropping the franchise’s all-time Christmas Day record to 5-5. The team did not appear on Christmas Day from 1978-2017.

Milwaukee last hosted a game on the holiday in 2021.

The NBA schedule has not officially been released, but a social media post by The Athletic with potential matchups on the day did not include the Bucks.

The entire schedule, including the re-branded in-season tournament, will likely be unveiled in the next week as Bucks season ticket holders were sent messages that individual game tickets can be purchased on Aug. 16.

Milwaukee Bucks Christmas Day game history

• 1968: Detroit 119, Milwaukee 113
• 1971: Detroit 120, Milwaukee 118
• 1972: Milwaukee 104, Kansas City-Omaha 99
• 1977: Milwaukee 131, Kansas City 122
• 2018: Milwaukee 109, New York 95
• 2019: Philadelphia 121, Milwaukee 109
• 2020: Milwaukee 138, Golden State 99
• 2021: Milwaukee 117, Boston 113
• 2022: Boston 139, Milwaukee 118
• 2023: New York 129, Milwaukee 122

The Milwaukee Brewers routed the Atlanta Braves on Thursday afternoon, winning 16-7 at Truist Park. The Brewers are now 65-49 and remain in first place in the National League Central while the Braves are 60-54 and now fighting for their playoff lives. Atlanta is now 0.5 games back in the National League wild card picture.

The Brewers pounded out 20 hits in this one, with seven different players registering multi-hit games. Four different players had multi-RBI games as well. Milwaukee also hit six home runs in what was a continuation of a historic series for the offense as a whole.

Per @OptaSTATS on social media:

In the 3-game series in Atlanta, the @Brewers’ offense piled up:

52 hits
34 runs
19 walks
8 home runs
6 stolen bases

No other team in MLB history has reached all of those numbers over any 3-game span.

It’s been amazing what the Brewers have done this season. While this output focuses on the offense, to be in first place without Brandon Woodruff, Wade Miley, Adrian Houser or Corbin Burnes is remarkably impressive.

Also impressive is the development of rookie Jackson Chourio. Entering the season as the No. 2 prospect in the sport, he went 3-for-5 with two home runs, three runs scored and four RBI. He’s now hitting .277 for the year with 14 homers, 50 RBI and 15 stolen bases. At just 20 years old, he’s become the impact player that the team envisioned him.

The Brewers are back in action on Friday night when they take on the Cincinnati Reds at 8:10 p.m. ET.

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