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CINCINNATI — Every Cincinnati resident knows that Reds Opening Day is Cincinnati’s own holiday. For Randy Freaking, the night before opening night is Christmas.
For the past 12 years, Freaking has hosted Reds opening night parties to benefit his favorite charity, the Reds Community Foundation.
Freaking says at first it was just a party for friends. “About 12 years ago, my wife and I said to each other, ‘Hey, why don’t we try doing charity work and doing charity work?'”
Currently, 500 people are gathering to celebrate Reds baseball. Not only will the mascots be there, but so will the players and Hall of Fame broadcaster Marty Brennaman.
Over the years, the party has raised about $400,000 in community funds. He hopes to reach $1 million soon. While some may see the fund as simply building a baseball stadium, Freaking said there’s more to the fund than that.
“We offer a number of programs from the Reds Community Fund,” Freaking said. “(They) teach things like leadership skills, etiquette and ACT and SAT preparation.”
Freaking recalls the story of a student who scored a 17 on the ACT for the first time. With assistance from the Reds Community Fund, he was able to raise his score to his 29.
“Frankly, the Reds’ Community Foundation isn’t picky about their success with kids,” he said. “There are thousands of children who rely on the Reds Community Fund each year, and they are underserved children who really need the community’s help.”
This year’s Opening Day eve party will be held at our new location, Merlein Lager House. At $49, it’s a bargain, Freaking says.
“(It) includes drinks and appetizers,” Freaking said. “We’ve got great entertainment. We’ll have DJ Toad, mixologist Molly Wellman…Moe Egger will be there. Marty Brenneman will be here too. We’ll probably have some Reds players as well. It’s the best party of the year.”
He then issued a challenge: “If you’re a Reds fan and you don’t enjoy this party, we’ll happily refund your money.”
Click here to purchase tickets.
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