Wisconsin Assembly declares Feb. 29 'LeRoy's Leap Day' in honor of former Green Bay Packers star LeRoy Butler

This may not have been LeRoy Butler's leap year, at least when it comes to induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But the Wisconsin state Capitol is ensuring he at least gets leap day to himself.

A proclamation read by the Wisconsin State Assembly Thursday identified Feb. 29, 2020, as "LeRoy's Leap Day," a nod to his pioneering "Lambeau Leap" during a 1993 Packers game and coinciding with his non-profit pursuits for Hebron Housing Services in Waukesha County.

Hebron Housing Services, which bills itself as the oldest nonprofit in Waukesha, provides emergency shelter for more than 60 people a night, including children, with three shelters running at near capacity year-round.

Butler will orchestrate a fundraiser from 7 to 11 p.m. Feb. 29 at The Iron Horse Hotel in Milwaukee, with hors d'oeuvres, a voice auction and remarks from Butler.

Tickets to the event are $100, with VIP tickets (including a meet-and-greet with Butler from 5 to 7 p.m.) at $250. They can be purchased at leroysleapday.com. 

Butler, a four-time Pro Bowler and a member of the 1996 Packers team that won Super Bowl XXXI, was a first-time finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame but didn't make the cut of five inductees for the 2020 class, though it remains a strong possibility that he achieves induction within the next few years. 

The resolution pointed out that Butler's leap on Dec. 26, 1993, became an iconic wrinkle to Packers games even though the NFL has established rules against similar celebrations elsewhere, and Butler's philanthropy raises awareness of homelessness beyond the city and into the suburbs.

JR Radcliffe can be reached at (262) 361-9141 or jradcliffe@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JRRadcliffe.