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On January 25th, the Reds Community Foundation, St. Elizabeth Healthcare, and Pitch In for Baseball & Softball (PIFBS) announced that 21 high schools in Northern Kentucky, Southeastern Indiana, and Ohio Distributed $57,500 worth of baseball and softball equipment to 42 national baseball and softball teams. , and he also works with three youth sports organizations.
The event, held Thursday at Griffin Elite in Erlanger, Kentucky, marks the eighth consecutive year that these three partners have collaborated to support local high schools and youth organizations in the tri-state area.
Reds guests in attendance included the first three selections of the 2023 MLB Draft, who were in town as part of the annual Reds Caravan. Right-hander Rhett Lowder (7th overall pick), Ty Floyd (38th pick), and infielder Sammy Stahula (43rd pick) are all former Reds pitchers and 2023 Reds Hall of Fame class member Bronson Arroyo. He also addressed the audience. .
At just 19 years old, Stafra is several years older than the student-athletes he spoke to, so he could empathize with the importance of receiving such high-quality equipment.
“It’s a fresh start. We just got all new equipment to go out and train,” Stahula said. “Having equipment like that is so important to taking your game to the next level. And it helps you have a lot of fun outside, and that’s the most important thing.”
The 16 Northern Kentucky schools that benefited from the equipment drive are: Augusta, Bellevue, Boone County, Campbell County, Dayton, Dixie Heights, Gallatin County, Grant County, Holmes, Holy Cross, Lloyd Memorial, Ludlow, and Newport. They were Central Catholic, Newport and Pendleton. County and Scott. Four Indiana schools participated this year: Milan, Rising Sun, Southern Ripley, and Switzerland County, with Taylor High School representing Ohio. In addition, the Ludlow Athletic Club, Bellevue, Betts, and Grant County Little League were also assisted.
“This great program is entering its eighth year, and it means a lot to us,” said Tony Wyott, assistant vice president of patient services at St. Elizabeth Healthcare. “We’re proud to be able to give back to the young student-athletes of Northern Kentucky, Southeastern Indiana, and now Cincinnati. Seeing all this equipment and the excitement on the athletes’ faces makes me feel so proud. It reminds me of my days at the ballpark. Baseball was my first passion for the sport and I’m so excited to be able to come full circle with an event like this.”
Reds Community Foundation and St. Elizabeth Healthcare both invest dollars each year into programs that support amateur baseball and softball in Greater Cincinnati, and PIFBS will leverage those dollars even further through its relationship with a leading equipment manufacturer Contributing to. Donated equipment includes baseball, softball, bats, helmets, gloves, cleats, catcher’s equipment, portable practice nets, compression sleeves and more.
“As part of a small private school, the equipment available today is extremely important because it allows us to have state-of-the-art equipment that helps us be competitive, grow and thrive as a team,” Evie said. Told. Thomas is a junior softball player from Holy Cross High School and is part of the Reds’ RBI softball program.
The annual equipment drive is one of many events led by Philadelphia-based nonprofit PIFBS. This nonprofit organization removes equipment barriers to playing baseball and softball by providing equipment to underprivileged and at-risk children in schools across the country and abroad. That’s what I’m aiming for. PIFBS has donated over $30 million of his equipment to all 50 states and 120 countries around the world. The group supports approximately 200,000 children in the U.S. and abroad and expects to reach more than 2 million by the end of the year.
“This program started eight years ago with just 20 teams and has now grown to provide more than 40 teams each year with the equipment they need to play,” said Mike, Director of Strategic Partnerships at PIFBS. Moran said. “Since 2017, we have supported the donation of nearly $400,000 in equipment and helped more than 10,000 children play ball in northern Kentucky and southeastern Indiana. , we remain grateful to the coaches and parents who make our work possible. We can provide the equipment, but we can’t help but make the same impact on kids that you do. I can not do it.”
This event was made possible by the Reds Community Foundation, St. Elizabeth Healthcare and PIFBS, as well as a partnership with InGame Sports. The Regional Amateur Sports Events Group will help coordinate communications with schools and manage the setup of events at Griffin Elite.
This year’s event had the unexpected bonus of Arroyo performing original music for attendees. In addition to being a Reds Hall of Famer and World Series champion, the former pitcher is also a singer-songwriter who performs throughout the Cincinnati metropolitan area with the Bronson Arroyo Band throughout the year.
Guitar in hand, Arroyo spoke to the teens about the importance of enjoying the moment and making sure to find other interests outside of baseball. Even for a baseball player as successful as Arroyo, the game doesn’t last forever, so he chose to lean into music a long time ago. He performed two new original songs and then answered questions to conclude the program.
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