Eight years ago the Reds Community Fund was founded for the purpose of giving inner city kids the chance to play baseball where they once could not. Now the charity donates equipment, umpire fees, uniforms and builds and restores fields.
Britton Martin, the outreach coordinator for the group, explained how it works, "It's just finding those outlets: spots to play, teams to play on and fortunately the community fund opens up spaces for those kids to play, in different leagues and different teams is what we're able to do."
Kids get to play in organized games, learn basic skills of the sport and make friends with children from other areas.
Fourth grade mom, Torri Cook, talked about the community fund, "I think that certainly it helps that the Reds are backing this and supporting these teams to come out and do what they are doing. It's just a great experience."
Dave Dierker of the Cincinnati Public Schools says the fund has helped with $1,500 per high school team and the school district has six middle school teams that would not exist with out the help, and it makes better students.
"You learn lessons... Life lessons like; how to compete, how to win with grace and lose with dignity." Dierker continued about the boys future, "We hope that somewhere down the road that the kids will look back and say 'I want that for my kids.'"
Britton added that regardless of skin color or background the fund is about the kids.
"You know we all have things in common we like to do the same things: we like baseball. And to see these kids really enjoying one another and develop friendships is what makes it the best program in my eyes," he said.
