A Huge Beach Ball is Making the People of This Town Smile!

Beach balls can be a lot of fun. Whether its being bopped around the ocean, a swimming pool, or just rolling down a street. A huge beachball has been rolling around the streets of Stoughton, Wisconsin for weeks collecting smiles wherever it goes.

This small city, located 15 miles south of Madison’s claim to fame, has been the birthplace of the coffee break, now it has another reason to be famous.

The beach ball first made an appearance July 23, 2021 after a storm blew it out of someone’s yard and has been gathering fans and signatures ever since, according to KHAK News. Someone shared a Facebook post on the Stoughton page and it all sort of beachballed after that.

One resident shared her family’s recent encounter with the town’s most popular resident with the news organization saying: “Honestly it started as misplaced. Someone on the Stoughton Facebook page reached out asking if someone was missing a huge beachball because there was one that had blown to the end of a road. And that’s literally how it started. From there, people have been going out to sign it and then literally push it on its way around town.”

The ball was signed by hundreds of residents and people took selfies with the giant to post on their social media accounts. Even the local police department got into the act, and said on their Facebook page that they came across a “neighborhood prowler” and added their John Hancock’s to the supersize ball according to We Are Greenbay.

The ball has had some rough spells and was patched up by Stoughton’s finest. It’s even being tracked on a map – a Where’s Waldo of sorts – as it travels around the town.

And since it has become a mascot,  the beachball was named Rolie Polie Ole by the residents in a Facebook poll, reported KHAK. People are chatting and bonding over Rolie’s adventures.

According to Stoughton Alderman Greg Jensen, Rolie has given the town something to talk about and have fun with after a year of having to be careful. And that’s certainly something to smile about!