Better Together: a Letter from CEO John Bollinger
Published on July 12, 2026 under Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Bismarck Larks News Release
This is the second in a three-part series exploring our mission: When FUN is Done Differently, it creates core memories, stronger communities, and lifelong fans.
It Was Never About the Seats
This offseason, I learned something about baseball that had absolutely nothing to do with baseball.
Like every organization, we occasionally make mistakes. This winter, our ticketing system accidentally moved a handful of longtime season ticket holders into different seats. They still had great views. They were still close to the field. On paper, nothing had really changed.
Then Opening Night arrived, and our team quickly realized these fans weren't frustrated because they had lost their seats.
They were frustrated because they had lost their neighbors.
For seven, eight, even nine summers, they'd sat beside the same people. They celebrated birthdays together, watched each other's kids grow up, checked in during life's difficult seasons, laughed through Clark the Lark's latest antics, and high-fived after Larks victories. Somewhere along the way, those rows of box seats had quietly become a neighborhood.
Thankfully, we were able to fix everything. But that experience changed how I think about what we do. It reminded me that people don't just come to a baseball game for baseball.
They come for each other.
It made me wonder if, in a world where loneliness is rising and genuine connection seems harder to find, something as simple as a summer evening at the ballpark matters more than we realize.
Our mission says that When FUN is Done Differently, it creates stronger communities. For years, I thought that meant creating great entertainment. Today, I think it means something much deeper.
We Were Made for Connection
For more than 85 years, researchers at Harvard have followed one of the longest studies on human happiness ever conducted. They expected wealth, success, or achievement to be the greatest predictor of a long and meaningful life.
They were wrong. The answer wasn't money or status - it was relationships.
That shouldn't surprise us.
Deep down, we've always known we were created for connection. Yet today's world often pulls us in the opposite direction. We spend more time on our phones than on our front porches. We know more about people we follow online than the neighbors who live next door. We're constantly connected, yet somehow feel more disconnected than ever.
Maybe that's why baseball has mattered for more than 150 years. It was never just about the game. It has always been about giving people a place to belong.
I've noticed that even more since becoming a dad. Life is wonderfully full, but incredibly busy. Between work, school, activities, meetings, emails, and everything else, it often feels like we're sprinting from one thing to the next.
Then we get to the ballpark.
My daughters disappear to make new friends before first pitch. My wife, Marcie, and I catch up with neighbors, run into old friends, and meet someone new while standing in line for ice cream. The funny thing is, I barely watch the game anymore, and somehow that's exactly the point.
We always leave feeling full - not because of the food, but because of the people.
We often say one of our core beliefs is simple: We are better when we are together.
The older I get, the more convinced I become that's one of life's greatest truths.
More Than a Ballgame
One of my favorite nights this season captured that idea perfectly.
It was City of Bismarck Night.
Most of us only think about city government when something goes wrong. Maybe our street hasn't been plowed after a snowstorm, construction slows our commute, or the water bill shows up in the mailbox. But that night, we got to meet the people behind the jobs.
Families climbed inside garbage trucks, fire engines, street sweepers, SWAT vehicles, and Public Works equipment. Kids asked questions with wide eyes. City employees beamed with pride as they shared what they do every day to make Bismarck a safe, clean, thriving place to live. Our city administrator even climbed into a dunk tank and became the target of hundreds of laughing fans.
We laughed together, but more importantly, we saw each other. That's what community looks like. It's replacing assumptions with appreciation.
That idea has become one of the biggest goals of our organization. We don't create promotions simply to fill innings. We create moments that help people see each other, celebrate one another, and leave more connected than when they arrived.
None of this happens by accident. Every day, our team asks a simple question: How can we help someone feel seen today? Sometimes it's a birthday announcement. Sometimes it's a player's autograph. Sometimes it's honoring a teacher who's spent 30 years changing lives. Sometimes it's introducing a refugee to the family sitting next to them. Those moments may seem small, but we've learned they're often the ones people remember most.
Celebrating the People Who Make Us Stronger
Yes, we want to entertain people. But more than that, we want to create experiences that help neighbors discover neighbors and leave feeling just a little more proud of the place they call home.
This season we've celebrated teachers, hometown heroes, reading champions, STEM All-Stars, law enforcement, conservationists, prostate cancer survivors, Olympic gold medalists, city employees, couples renewing their wedding vows, and countless local nonprofits. Together we've raised more than $35,000 for organizations serving our region, collected more than 3,000 pounds of food for the Great Plains Food Bank, and shared hundreds of stories that deserve to be celebrated.
We've invited fans to experience a coal mine firsthand to better understand one of the industries that powers our state. We brought the Medora singers to the ballpark to debut new music. We told the story of Lewis and Clark through on-field games. Soon, Governor Kelly Armstrong will become the first sitting governor to manage a summer collegiate baseball team as the Dakota Ditch Chickens take the field, celebrating North Dakota's rich hunting, fishing, and conservation heritage.
Baseball gives us a reason to gather. Everything else is about people.
What Does "North Dakota Nice" Really Mean?
One of the nights I'm most excited about hasn't even happened yet.
It's called ND Nice Night.
North Dakotans proudly say we're nice, and I believe that's true. But this night asks a different question.
Are we welcoming?
Through partnerships with the Bismarck-Mandan Chamber, Global Neighbors, and local employers, we'll welcome new residents, interns spending the summer here, and refugees beginning a brand-new chapter of life in our community.
For some, it will be their very first baseball game. Not their first Larks game - their first baseball game.
Imagine leaving everything you've ever known, arriving in a new place, and discovering thousands of people are genuinely excited you're here. That one evening won't solve every challenge, but maybe - just maybe - it helps someone feel like they belong.
And sometimes belonging changes everything.
A Place Where People Belong
One of the greatest compliments I've ever heard wasn't about our promotions or even our baseball team.
It came from fans who told us they couldn't imagine sitting anywhere else because the people around them had become family.
You can't buy that, script it, or manufacture it. You can only create a place where it has the chance to happen.
That's what we're trying to do.
Not build community ourselves, but create the conditions where community can grow.
So the next time you're at the ballpark, I hope you'll look up for just a minute. Watch the little girl introducing herself to another little girl she'll spend the evening chasing around the playground. Notice the coworkers who finally found time to catch up. See the grandparents making memories they'll never forget. Smile at strangers high-fiving after a home run. Listen to thousands of people laughing together after Clark does something ridiculous.
Then look around one more time.
You'll realize you're not just watching a baseball game.
You're watching something much bigger.
You're watching a community become a little stronger - one conversation, one friendship, one shared memory, and one summer night at a time.
Our mission has always been simple:
When FUN is Done Differently, it creates core memories, stronger communities, and lifelong fans.
Core memories begin with moments. Lifelong fans begin with experiences. But stronger communities begin with people - people who choose to slow down, look up, welcome someone new, and spend one more summer evening together.
Because if there's one thing I've learned over the last ten years, it isn't our promotions, the fireworks, or even the wins. The very best thing we've ever built isn't a baseball team.
It's a place where people belong.
Northwoods League Stories from July 12, 2026
- Rockers Host Woodchucks for Doubleheader - Green Bay Rockers
- Blade Carver Delivers Walk-Off Single to Secure Bismarck a Doubleheader Split - Bismarck Larks
- Better Together: a Letter from CEO John Bollinger - Bismarck Larks
- Flying Mummies Take Series, Knock off Madison 6-3 Behind Huether's Strong Start - Richmond Flying Mummies
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
