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Chad Caddell Pens Children’s Book Sequel: Joey & The Joy Factory!

FAIRFIELD, OH (April 30, 2024) — Everyone’s favorite Can-Do Kangaroo is back for another epic story, and he’s brought some new friends along for the journey!



 The Nuxhall Foundation is proud to announce the release of a new children’s book titled Joey & The Joy Factory! This sequel is authored by Nuxhall Foundation board member Chad Caddell and is illustrated by Darryl Collins.


Author Chad Caddell with Baseball Hall of Fame Broadcaster Marty Brennaman.

“It was important to follow up our first book with a story that looked at how Joey actually ended up at his new home, The Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields, which we affectionately call ‘The Joy Factory,’” says Caddell of the sequel. “Joey & The Joy Factory! takes us on a wonderful journey where Joey discovers incredible friends who love, accept, and encourage him in ways he’s never seen before. Those are the secret ingredients that make everybody feel like a somebody at the Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields, and we wanted those character traits to shine through in this fun tale.”

 

The story is a follow-up to the Foundation’s wildly-successful debut, Joey The Can-Do Kangaroo, which launched when Joey debuted as the mascot for the Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields in 2022. The mascot, a baby kangaroo, overcame a disability affecting his legs by wearing leg braces—an assistive device also utilized by many athletes at the Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields.




“Ever since we unveiled Joey, we’ve been amazed by the reaction and response—especially from our special needs all-stars,” says Tyler Bradshaw, executive director with The Nuxhall Foundation. “Our athletes see themselves in Joey, and they gravitate to him as a result. The joy that Joey adds to everything we do is inspirational, and we know this book is only going to add to the excitement.”

 

In Joey & The Joy Factory!, Joey finds himself inspired by kind friends he met during the Kickball-a-Palooza from the first story, curiously wanting to discover where they learned how to be so empathetic and optimistic. With their help, Joey then finds his way to The Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields, where he witnesses special needs athletes playing baseball while being cheered on by a community of supporters.

 

In a fun twist, the book pays tribute to two legendary leaders at the Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields, Nuxhall Foundation president Kim Nuxhall and vice chairman Larry Tischler, with the introduction of two brand new characters: Koala Kim and Tisch the Turtle.

 

“Chad Caddell is a dynamo when it comes to character education,” says Kim Nuxhall, president and board chairman of The Nuxhall Foundation. “The books he has written about Joey help to illustrate so many important character lessons in the minds of our readers: being determined even when the world says you can’t do something, showing compassion and concern for others, leading with integrity and kindness, and always lifting others up with our actions, words, and behaviors. This book reinforces all the championship-caliber character traits that made my Dad so special, and what a joy it is to see this book tell the story of our mission at the Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields.”

 

An added bonus for Nuxhall? “I’ve always thought I’d make a good-looking koala bear!”

 

The lessons in Joey & The Joy Factory! will help to fuel the work of The Nuxhall Foundation, but so too will sales of each copy. Like the inaugural book in the series, every dollar from every new edition sold will support The Nuxhall Foundation—an organization committed to doing the best they can, for as many as they can, for as long as they can through legacy projects honoring The Ole Lefthander Joe Nuxhall and his legendary career.



Joey with Youth League All-Star Lila Hodges.

“The world we live in needs more reminders of the good that can occur when communities of character come together to include everyone in big, miraculous dreams,” says Nuxhall. “We hope that this new book helps to keep that dream burning bright within the hearts and minds of every person who reads it.”

 

For Caddell, the story is a reflection of the magic he sees happening with every hit, high five, hat toss, and hug at the Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields.

 

“This place really is a Joy Factory, and that story deserves to be told,” says the author. “At this place, everyone belongs, everyone is celebrated, and everyone is a part of a community overflowing with dreams, hopes, and miracles. That’s what powers the Joy Factory, and that’s what Joey’s story is all about.”



Copies of Joey & The Joy Factory! can be purchased online at www.nuxhallmiracleleague.org/joeybook or on gamedays at The Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields. The book is $10 (plus shipping if ordered online) with 100% of all sales supporting The Nuxhall Foundation. For more information or to purchase in bulk quantities, contact Nuxhall Foundation executive director Tyler Bradshaw at tyler@nuxhallmiracleleague.org.

 

About The Nuxhall Foundation

The Nuxhall Foundation is the legacy foundation for former Major League Baseball pitcher and longtime Cincinnati Reds broadcaster, Joe Nuxhall. A central project of The Nuxhall Foundation is The Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields—an entirely accessible baseball and recreational facility where every player with every challenge gets every chance to play. Nearly 300 players between ages 4 to 80 participate in programs at the Miracle League Fields.

 

For more information, visit http://www.nuxhallmiracleleague.org.

 

For all media inquiries or to schedule an appearance, please contact:

 

Tyler Bradshaw

(513) 839-6164

 

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