Baseball and softball season are fast approaching, and students are picking up their bats and dusting off their mitts for try outs. In Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS), students can be especially grateful to a local powerhouse for stepping up to the plate to deliver equitable support for diamond sports districtwide.
Through Activities Beyond the Classroom (ABC), the Reds Community Fund is providing financial support for diamond sports for grades 7-12 in Cincinnati Public Schools. For more than a decade, these donations have provided CPS athletic departments the opportunity to grow and improve upon their diamond sport programs.
“CPS Athletics and ABC have been great partners,” said Reds Community Fund Executive Director, Charley Frank. “Baseball and softball have struggled in the urban core compared to the suburbs, and it’s vital to keep the game relevant at the junior high and high school levels. We’re fortunate that we have two strategic allies that care about the game and want the best for the kids.”
Funds donated to schools are used for a variety of things like new jerseys, equipment, field maintenance, and more. “It’s through this support that [ABC is] able to meet our mission of providing more opportunities for kids to participate in athletics and other activities by increasing access and resources in a city with rich diamond sports history,” said Ricky Miller, Senior Manager of Athletics at ABC. Miller, who spent years at the bat and as a team manager, was elated at the support of the Reds Community Fund. “I’m very excited and optimistic about the direction of baseball and softball in our Cincinnati neighborhoods.”
In addition, the Reds Community Fund is close to officially opening its brand new “Cleveland Parker Field” at the Blair Recreation Complex in Avondale, which will be accessible to CPS baseball and softball teams. The new field will have dugouts, a new scoreboard provided by ABC, and a new turf infield. “That turf field, for anyone who is unfamiliar, is a real luxury,” commented Carmen Lawrence-Bille, ABC Director of Advancement. “Turf fields are more resilient, which means they don’t rain out as easily and we’ll see fewer cancellations due to weather.”
When asked about the value that the Reds Community Fund provides to CPS students and to Cincinnati at large, Josh Hardin, CPS Athletics Manager, commented, “this goes far beyond the game. The donations and resources that the Reds Community Fund provides mean more resources for our kids. More resources lead to more opportunities. More opportunities means more equity, and more collaboration across the district and nonprofits in Cincinnati. And really, isn’t that what we’re all here to do? To make Cincinnati a better place?”
“The Reds Community Fund is a spectacular partner for ABC and CPS,” Carmen continued. “We hope that their magnanimity and generosity serve as inspiration for other organizations to step up to the table in support of this amazing community.”
“The Reds Community Fund is a spectacular partner for ABC and CPS,” Carmen continued. “We hope that their magnanimity and generosity serve as inspiration for other organizations to step up to the table in support of this amazing community.”
ABC would like to share our warm thanks with the Reds Community Fund for its support of diamond sports for Cincinnati students. Thanks also to the Cincinnati Recreation Commission for supporting diamond sports through its spaces and fields across Cincinnati.
