Cincinnati Reds Community Fund quietly goes about its mission

Reds Country benefits from the work of the Cincinnati Reds Community Fund in more ways than one.

The Cincinnati Reds Community Fund works to help both boys and girls, both on and off the diamond, both in and out of the baseball season.  Their design is to leverage the tradition of the Reds to make the lives of youths better.  There is little doubt that they have done just that.

Recently, 33 of the participants from their Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program and the P&G MLB Urban Youth Academy got together to announce their college decisions.  Of those 33, an amazing 14 are going on to play baseball or softball in college.

The underlining win here is that they are graduated high school, which isn’t a given in urban Cincinnati.  In 2017 there were two teams that received college preparatory help beyond that of sports and equipment.  This is happening when the Urban Youth Academy is just three years old.

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The Reds’s goal is to continue to have 30-50 students matriculate to college every spring from the program.  That same day the Reds held its annual telethon to help to support its mission.  This year’s telethon earned the Community Fund $120,000, up from $15,000 four years ago.

By combining the telethon and the signing day, the Cincinnati Reds Community Fund created a new tradition for the organization.

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In addition to numerous athletic successes for the alumni, two won scholarships from MLB Charities.  33 alumni completed the program this year.  16 of them earned some sort of additional recognition.

The Community Fund also renovated field in the Evanston neighborhood at Hoffman Fields.  Instead of just rebuilding a baseball diamond, the entire recreation complex was upgraded.  That makes over 400 baseball/softball diamonds renovated at 200 locations.   This has happened in just the past twelve years.

This helps each neighborhood have a place to be proud of.  Rebuilding dilapidated fields is about helping out the neighborhood.  But is about more than just making a place to play.  It is about creating something that the neighborhood can be proud of.

Another large fund raiser is right around the corner.  This weekend is the annual RedsFest.  It is a way for the community to show it appreciation for the team.  It is also a way for the team to show appreciation to its fans.

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The Community Fund is a beacon of the oldest franchise in baseball.  This is what they are really about.  Reds’ country is a place in the heart of all Reds’ fans.

This true whether they are in Cincinnati, West Virginia, or far away.  Now it is even easier to see the positive outcomes. They also provide these to the community at large now.