Oct 9, 2012; Cincinnati, OH, USA; A general view of Great American Ball Park (Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports)

For a seventh year, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul-Cincinnati (SVdP) will partner with The Cincinnati Reds and News 5 for the Strike Out Hunger campaign.

On June 7 and 8, all fans who donate a minimum if two non-perishable food items in designated food collection barrels will receive a View Level ticket to either the July 2 game (San Francisco Giants) or the August 21 game (Arizona Diamondbacks), pending availability, limit one ticket per person. These designated barrels will be located inside the Reds Front Office lobby, located next to ticket windows, so that fans without a game ticket may be able to donate as well.

Last year, the Reds Food Drive collected over 10,000 pounds of food which was able to provide over 8,500 meals. SVdP provided meals for over 100,000 people in neighborhoods throughout Cincinnati. Per a release from SVdP:

“The Cincinnati Reds are committed to alleviating hunger in our community,” said Lindsey Lander, Reds director of community relations. “We are proud to partner once again with St. Vincent de Paul as well as our fans to help local neighbors in need.”

“Many visitors to our food pantries are asking for help for the first time. After making sacrifices to keep up with the cost of living, they simply have nowhere else to turn for food.” said Liz Carter, executive director of St. Vincent de Paul-Cincinnati.

For more information regarding the Reds Food Drive for St. Vincent de Paul, contact Reds Community Relations at 513-765-7018. If you would like more information about donating or volunteering please contact 513-562-8841, ext. 220 or visit SVDPcincinnati.org.

Four years! (David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports)

FanSided, the brainchild of Adam and Zach Best, was just getting off the ground. With Arrowhead Addict anchoring the network since 2007, the brothers looked to expand their coverage to every sport and every team. Two years after the mothership launched, they commissioned Tim Grimes to take the lead on a new Cincinnati Reds blog. With his first post, BRM began an experiment with no foreseeable end but, more importantly, no idea how far it would take us.

For eighteen months, Grimes labored alone as he posted over three hundred articles. Since then, handfuls of talented writers contributed to the site over four years, culminating with today’s spectacular crew: Steve Engbloom (July 2010), Tyler Grote (December 2011), John Rentz (April 2012), Jordan Barhorst and I (November), Cliff Eastham (December), Josh Bresser (January), Cam Miller (February), and Scott Kelly (March). Today’s team has combined to write over 1200 articles and invest an infinite amount of time in the blog.

Since I joined the BRM team in November, we’ve published over four hundred articles at a rate of nearly two posts per day. Tens of thousands of people have made this site part of their Internet routine; hundreds upon hundreds follow us on social media; and bit by bit, Blog Red Machine has earned the respect of the Reds’ community. In 2012, USA Today named BRM as the top Cincinnati fan blog, and we haven’t looked back since.

On behalf of Steve and the rest of the gang, thank you for your time and trust as we celebrate four years.

Here’s to the next four!

Footnote: In early April, I took a position with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos in operating their official blog. My role with Blog Red Machine will be transitioning from the full-time staff writer post to a contributing role. I’ll be chiming in with monthly updates, but you can keep up with my daily work at Hook, Line, and Sinker.

Aug 7, 2012; Flushing, NY,USA; Mr. Met unveils the 2013 All Star Game logo before the game between the New York Mets and the Miami Marlins at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

So you might be wondering how you can do this. It’s simple. Go to TributeForHeroes.com and click on “Nominate Now”. The nominations will all be reviewed and three will be selected per club meaning there will be 90 finalists. Reviewing the nominations will be MLB< PEOPLE and a panel of celebrity judges.

From June 9 to June 30, fans will be able to vote for their club favorite. One will represents the Reds at Citi Field during the All-Star Game. The Reds honoree will receive a trip to New York City, be included in pregame festivities and be recognized during a ceremony prior to the All-Star Game. The overall winner from the 30 honorees will be featured in PEOPLE.

From the press release…

The “Tribute For Heroes” campaign will support Welcome Back Veterans
(welcomebackveterans.org, powered by MLB.com), an initiative of Major League Baseball and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, which addresses the needs of veterans after they return from
service. Major League Baseball has committed more than $23 million for grants to hospitals and clinics
that provide post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) treatment to
veterans and their families in a public/private partnership with “Centers of Excellence” at university
hospitals throughout the country.

As part of its 2013 charity initiative, “PEOPLE First: Help America’s Veterans,” PEOPLE magazine is
partnering with Welcome Back Veterans and three other nonprofit organizations that are committed to
providing assistance to military men and women, and will feature them in multiple editorial stories in
PEOPLE throughout 2013.

Here’s your chance, Reds fans. If you know a veteran or currently active member of the Armed Forces you believe should receive this honor, what are you waiting for? Get nominating!