The Cincinnati Reds are committed to utilizing our platform to spotlight resources that help our communities. Each month we will highlight a cause or topic and partners working to benefit our community in that area.
UNITY
The Cincinnati Reds are committed to promoting positive initiatives in our community and for fans throughout Reds Country. Below you will have the opportunity to hear from voices within the Reds organization, find out what initiatives we conduct to promote positive change and inclusiveness, learn more about how you can get involved and make a difference in your community and much more.
Let’s unite so that we can raise awareness and education and change our society together.
REDS COUNTRY CARES
NEWS AND EVENTS
Freestore Foodbank & Reds Community Fund Host Holiday Meal Distribution
On Thursday, November 21, Freestore Foodbank and the Reds Community Fund teamed up for a drive-through holiday meal distribution at the P&G MLB Cincinnati Reds Youth Academy.
With the rising costs and increasing demand for food in the community, the six-hour event had a steady flow of traffic from beginning to end with residents from Roselawn and neighboring communities coming by to get their holiday fixings.
“The Reds and the Youth Academy are honored to host this event for the fifth year in a row to help local families during the holidays,” said Charley Frank, Executive Director of the Reds Community Fund.
Approximately 2,000 meals were distributed, totaling roughly 100,000 pounds of food. The holiday boxes included a chicken/turkey, canned vegetables, macaroni and cheese, gravy, stuffing, potatoes, fresh produce and more.
REDS YOUTH ACADEMY HOSTS 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY
On October 4, about 400 Cincinnati residents, volunteers and Reds staff celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the P&G MLB Cincinnati Reds Youth Academy. The Academy hit the 10-year mark on August 22 and hosted a birthday party after the season that was open to the public.
Held from 4-7 p.m., the event featured games, inflatables, face painters, a circus performer, magician, food, music and more. There were giveaways including bobbleheads, wiffle ball bats, hats and lunch boxes, among other items. Reds Hall of Famer George Foster and Reds pitcher and Moeller High School product Brent Suter were in attendance for the festivities. And of course, Reds mascots Mr. Redlegs and Rosie Red were also there for all the fun.
The afternoon wouldn’t have been complete without some baseball. Attendees were able to enjoy a Reds Nike RBI 12U softball game along with the inaugural RBI alumni game. In addition, representatives from local nonprofit “Shoes 4 the Shoeless” were onsite and provided new shoes and socks for children in more than 60 families.
Hunter Greene Visits Reds Youth Academy
On October 1, the P&G MLB Cincinnati Reds Youth Academy hosted Hunter Greene as part of the Nike RBI Ambassador program. Hunter held a Q&A with the approximately 80 RBI kids in attendance. He also signed autographs and gave pointers on pitching and how to make it to the big leagues. All attendees received a Nike RBI T-shirt.
Reds Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with Fiesta Rojos
The Reds celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month with activities September 17-20, which included pregame ceremonies, in-game activation and a full-day of events on September 20, capped off by the organization’s annual Fiesta Rojos at the ballpark.
My Brother's Keeper
On September 17, the Cincinnati Reds welcomed students from My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) chapters around Ohio to Great American Ball Park for a leadership event.
Approximately 250 students from 12 chapters across Ohio attended MBK’s largest event in the Midwest, which the Reds hosted for the fourth consecutive year. Special guests included Hamilton County Commissioner Alicia Reece, Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval, Dayton Major Jeffrey J Mims, Jr., Reds President & CEO Phil Castellini, Reds Chief Communications & Community Officer Karen Forgus, National League Baseball Hall of Famer Barry Larkin, and Director of MBK Ohio Kyle Strickland, along with other local leaders and Reds representatives. Reds outfielders Will Benson and Rece Hinds also spoke to the students and posed for photos.
This year is the 10th anniversary of MBK. In 2014, President Barack Obama started My Brother’s Keeper as a national initiative to address opportunity gaps facing boys and young men of color, and to ensure all young people reach their full potential. In 2015, Senator Sherrod Brown led efforts to launch MBK chapters around the state and helped launch the statewide MBK coalition in 2018.
Attendees arrived in the morning and participated in breakout sessions where they asked questions and sought advice on management, career opportunities, leadership and more before settling into the Bally Sports Club for lunch and a panel discussion. The students took part in an additional breakout session after the panel and then walked down the street to visit the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame located by the Andrew J. Brady Music Center. The group then returned to the ballpark for a ballpark tour and batting practice, followed by a tour of the Reds Hall of Fame presented by Dinsmore. The day concluded with tickets to that night’s game where they watched the Reds play the Atlanta Braves.
REDS HOST FIRST HBCU CELEBRATION AT GREAT AMERICAN BALL PARK
The Cincinnati Reds' first HBCU Celebration at the Ballpark took place at Great American Ball Park on Saturday, August 31 for the Reds vs. Brewers game. This HBCU Celebration was filled with activations before the game including a pregame mixer in the First Star Fan Zone featuring vendors, a panel discussion, live music and more.
Pregame ceremonies honored Christie Kuhns with the 2024 African American Community Advocate Award presented by PNC in honor of her work within Hamilton County & the Avondale community, along with the impact she makes as an active member of the YWCA Board of Directors and Bethesda Inc.
The top three selling HBCU alumni chapters were also granted special on-field ceremonies before the game: singing the national anthem, throwing a ceremonial first pitch and serving as honorary captain. Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Kameron Corvet, who is also a Walnut Hills High School graduate and Morehouse College alumnus, performed “Lift Every Voice and Sing” before the game. Additionally, a portion of each ticket sold through the HBCU page was donated to the opted-in local HBCU alumni chapters and the Cincinnati Chapter of Black Sports Professionals. The night was capped off with an Ohio Lottery Post-Game Concert featuring DIESEL aka SHAQ.
PLAYERS’ WEEKEND COLLABORATION WITH CINCINNATI CHILDREN’S
As part of Major League Baseball’s Players’ Weekend August 16-18, Reds players are wearing custom cleats designed and painted by patients from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. The idea originated from Reds outfielder TJ Friedl, who frequently visits the hospital during the season.
“Having Players’ Weekend back is something special and when I was told we could customize cleats, I asked if there was a way to send some white cleats to Children’s Hospital and have them decorated,” said Friedl. “Ever since I’ve been with the Reds, coming to Children’s is something special for me so whenever I can I try to make an effort to come and just visit with the kids.”
Players’ Weekend is an opportunity for players to celebrate their interests, backstories, causes and people that are important to them. In addition to the cleats designed by Cincinnati Children’s, players will be wearing special New Era caps with their numbers on the side along with use custom bats and other equipment showing off their interests.
Items from Players’ Weekend were auctioned off on reds.com, with net proceeds benefitting Cincinnati Children’s.
HUNTER GREENE HOSTS GROUP FROM YWCA AT THE BALLPARK
In honor of Women’s Equality Day on August 26, Reds pitcher Hunter Greene hosted about 20 women from the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) of Greater Cincinnati for the Reds vs. Oakland A’s game.
With the Reds having an off day on the 26th, the group, joined by some of their family members, visited Great American Ball Park on August 27th. Prior to the game, they enjoyed batting practice from the field followed by an ice cream social and Q&A with Greene.
Last year, Greene hosted a group of local veterans from the Joseph House for a similar event. Once again, the All-Star teamed up with Graeter’s Ice Cream, a perfect partner for a celebration centered around Women’s Equality Day. Graeter’s ia a fourth generation family business that still thrives today thanks to the efforts of Regina Graeter over a century ago.
About the YWCA
YWCA Greater Cincinnati is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. Founded in 1868 as the fifth YWCA in the United States, the YWCA Greater Cincinnati has always tackled women’s issues. At its inception, YWCA championed initiatives including a women’s employment bureau, minimum wage, protective labor laws, women’s suffrage and job training for women. YWCA Greater Cincinnati was at the forefront of racial justice advocacy, establishing the first integrated cafeteria where interracial groups could eat in the 1950s. Since the 1970s, YWCA Greater Cincinnati has provided services to victims of intimate partner violence and their children. The organization strives to build a coordinated community effort to provide the most comprehensive approach to prevention and intervention of intimate partner violence in the Greater Cincinnati area.
2024 COMMUNITY ADVOCATE AWARD WINNERS
Each year, PNC and the Reds present a series of Community Advocate Awards to members of our community who make a positive impact in promoting diversity and inclusion.
Please join PNC and the Reds in congratulating the 2024 Community Advocate winners below.
Pride Community – Michael Cotrell
Michael Cotrell is the current Empress 16 & 26 of the Imperial Sovereign Queen City Court of the Buckeye Empire All of Ohio INC. Since moving to Cincinnati in 2002 to be involved with ISQCCBE, Michael has helped raise over $180,000 for their charities. Heavily involved in our LGBTQ+ community, Michael also served on several boards, including ISQCCBE as President, Vice President and Current Secretary; PFLAG as Vice President and President, Cincinnati Pride as President, and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention as the Out of the Darkness Walk Chair.
Jewish Community – Bobby Fisher
Bobby Fisher is the Chairman of Quest Star Capital, an investment company dedicated to helping innovative growth companies and start-ups. In the community, Bobby is a board member of PORT Authority and was a founder and past co-chairman of the Cincinnati Regional Business Committee, is Co-Chairman of the Build Our Bridge Now Coalition and serves as a member of the Executive Committee and Champaign Chair at the Jewish Federation as well as on the Board of the Jewish Community Relations Council.
Irish Community – Chris Schulte
Chris Schulte comes from a family with a long history of involvement within the Irish American community, particularly Irish American Club, AOH, LAOH, and the St. Patrick’s Parade. Chris has been on the parade committee since 2005 and served as parade chairman for the 10th year in 2024. In June 2023, Chris was elected as a Director for the Ohio State Board of the AOH, responsible for managing & supporting local AOH division in Southern Ohio. Over the years, he has also worked tirelessly to volunteer and fundraise for the Special Olympics.
African American Community – Christie Kuhns
Christie Kuhns is committed to strengthening the civic fabric of our community and disrupting generational poverty by helping people get employed and stay employed. She is actively involved with Hamilton County, the YWCA Board of Directors, and Bethesda Inc. She has been a volunteer with the Avondale Community Council and Avondale Development Corporation for the past 17 years. Christie has been honored as a YWCA Career Woman of Achievement and was recently awarded the Jeffrey Hurwitz Young Alumni Outstanding Achievement Award from the University of Cincinnati. She also received the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus President’s Award and was named one of the Region’s Most Powerful Business Leaders by Cincinnati Magazine.
Hispanic Community – Nicholas Castro
Nicholas Castro is the Assistant Dean of Inclusive Excellence in the Lindner College of Business at the University of Cincinnati, and throughout his professional career has consistently shown a passion for diversity and inclusion by advocating on behalf of immigrants. Nick was instrumental in bringing a chapter of Latinx en Accion to University of Cincinnati Blue Ash, a group that strives to make positive impacts by serving Latinx students, along with championing a high school mentoring and tutoring program. As the father of five children, the son of a Mexican immigrant, and with over 15 years of being a higher education professional, Nick understands the struggles students must overcome during their college journey and has worked to support Hispanic and other underrepresented communities daily.
YOUTH AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
REDS MAKING AN IMPACT WITH RCF SCHOLARS
The Reds Community Fund (RCF) is focused on developing student-athletes into Major League Citizens, which is the objective of its newest program, RCF Scholars.
REDS YOUTH ACADEMY
The P&G MLB Cincinnati Reds Youth Academy is a state-of-the-art facility that supports thousands of kids and coaches in the Greater Cincinnati area. The academy serves as the home for the Cincinnati RBI (Reviving Baseball in the Inner Cities) program, along with year-round baseball and softball clinics and activities for players and educational sessions for coaches. In addition to on-field instruction, academy programs also provide academic tutoring, mentoring and life-building opportunities for the young people who need it most.
MURALS WITH A MISSION
Launched in 2022, “Murals With A Mission” powered by PNC Bank is an initiative that aims to create a mural at high school campuses across Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky that elevates positive social messages relevant to each school’s student body. Local artist Brent Billingsley works with student organizations to develop the message and artwork.
MLB INITIATIVES
The Cincinnati Reds partner with Major League Baseball on a number of programs and initiatives throughout each season that promotes diversity and inclusion.
2024 MLB CALENDAR OF EVENTS
- April 15 – Jackie Robinson Day
- May – Mental Health Awareness
- May 12 – Mother’s Day
- May 17-19 – Armed Forces Weekend (Military Appreciation)
- May 27 – Memorial Day
- June 2 – Lou Gehrig Day (4th Anniversary)
- June 14-16 – PLAY BALL Weekend
- June 16 – Father’s Day
- September 1 – Childhood Cancer Awareness Day
- September 11 – September 11th Remembrance
- September 15 – Roberto Clemente Day
- October 17 – Spirit Day
SOCIAL JUSTICE
The Cincinnati Reds are committed to turning words into action as we all look for ways to promote equality and social justice in our society. We can all come together to drive positive change and make a difference in our communities.
KEEP THE DISCUSSION GOING
While we strive to be a leader in making positive change, we also understand that we do not have all of the answers. Please let us know any feedback you have or suggestions for what we can do better as we look ahead to make a difference.
We also encourage you to keep the conversation going however you can. Get involved by discussing your thoughts and opinions with others on social media. Plan events in your community to bring people of all backgrounds together. It’s only through education, sharing and understanding that we can create true, lasting change.