The last time Oswald’s played Naperville Park District Softball was in the late 80’s early 90’s. My dad, his brother Tres, a handful of Oswald’s employees, and their old friends from College and NCHS made up the team. They’d play at Knoch Park off West Street in Field #2. Afterwards, the team and us kids would go to Gander’s (according to the Facebook group ‘Naperville, the Way it Used to Be’ it was also; The Reprieve, then Fireside, and lastly, Ganders. It’s now a gas station on the corner of Ogden and Aurora Ave.) A fun weekday night it was!
Oswald’s Pharmacy Softball Team
Fast forward 30+ years later and the Oswald’s Pharmacy Team is back! I’ve been talking with employees about it for a few years, and we finally had enough interest among team members (and luckily, significant others—who will probably be our best players!) to get the team off the ground. We’ll be playing at Knoch Park, in the same field my dad and friends did a lifetime ago. We’re in pretty rough shape, but we’ve been practicing, and are ready for our first game on Thursday, May 9th.
The town has nearly doubled in size over the last 30 years, among many, many other changes. For us, the most dramatic was our move from Downtown Naperville in 2004 to Naperville Plaza, our current location. With all the changes we’ve experienced as a community, and as a small business, sometimes I like to make a nod to our past: our Jersey I designed for this season is a throwback to our days as a Rexall Pharmacy from the 1920s to the late 1970s. So not even during my lifetime! But if you look at our store’s antique cabinet, or talk to family members and friends who worked at Ozzie’s back then, everyone remembers Rexall and their bright Orange and royal blue logo.
New Greeting Cards at Oswald’s
A change we have made that many of you may have noticed is removing a row of our greeting cards, making more space for gifts, and unique greeting card lines! We’ll be refreshing some of those new displays on a monthly basis as we get into Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and other summer fun. Stop by, check out the new aisle, and get the loved ones in your life the perfect gift at Ozzie’s!
We’ve also had a lot of new transfers to our pharmacy as the chains continue to struggle with staffing and service these past few years. If you’re not currently an Ozzie’s prescription customer, I encourage you to reach out to our Pharmacy Manager Melissa, and find out why we’re Naperville’s favorite pharmacy! I can’t promise we’ll be the best softball team this year, but I can assure you we have the best pharmacy service in town! I hope to see you soon. Thanks for your continued support. ꝶ
