All through the 2024 season, the families of Reds players were thrilled to give back to Reds Country through their ¡°Shop the Cause¡± program.

The ¡°Shop the Cause¡± Reds-branded clothing line for women and children encourages fans to ¡°share the love¡± by purchasing unique apparel at Great American Ball Park while raising awareness for youth homelessness.

The Reds teamed up with MLB licensee Tiny Turnip for the merchandise, with proceeds benefiting Lighthouse Youth & Family Services, a local organization that provides a wide range of trauma-informed services to help young people and families heal and grow.

Since its mid-June debut, ¡°Shop the Cause¡± has raised $5,000 for Lighthouse. The funds have been specifically allocated to provide needed items for homeless youth served by Lighthouse, including children ages 10-17 seeking safe shelter at Lighthouse¡¯s Mecum House.

The idea for the initiative started in the fall of 2023. Kristi Bell, wife of former Reds manager David Bell, organized events for the families of Reds players throughout the season, and she was looking for a new charity project for the group to support. She made the Reds aware that other teams had partnered with the player¡¯s families with this retail program.

¡°The Reds and our retail partners at Delaware North were excited to launch Shop the Cause at the Reds,¡± said Karen Forgus, the Reds' chief communication and community officer. ¡°We agreed that using the proceeds from the sale of Reds gear selected by our players¡¯ families was a fun and relatable way for them to engage with our fanbase while giving back to Cincinnati.¡±

To get things started, Kristi contacted Rachel Luzi, founder of popular clothing line Tiny Turnip, whom she had known for many years.

Established by Luzi in 2003, Tiny Turnip offers licensed apparel for women and children in all 30 MLB teams, along with Churchill Downs and the NCAA. The wives of Reds players and coaching staff decided to collaborate with the fashionable company to create a design specific to the Reds' families, while also raising awareness for an important cause.

That¡¯s where Lighthouse came in.

Most Reds players aren¡¯t from Cincinnati, so they were not aware of all the local organizations and charities in the community. But their were eager to help those in need and give back to the city, and Lighthouse proved to be a perfect fit.

Founded in 1969, Lighthouse offers a complete range of services for anyone under 25 years old, including outpatient mental and behavioral health services, psychiatric care, two emergency shelters, youth housing and street outreach. It is the only local agency focused on serving homeless youth, In Cincinnati, one-third of people experiencing homelessness are under the age of 25. The agency also provides community juvenile justice services and residential treatment, as well as foster care and adoption.

With ¡°Shop the Cause,¡± Reds fans have a personalized and stylish way to show their support for Lighthouse¡¯s mission, raise awareness of youth homelessness and let young people know there is help available to them.

The Reds supported the program at every home game. They showcased ¡°Shop the Cause¡± on the ballpark¡¯s videoboards, featured in-game fan cam hits at the various team shops selling the merchandise and arranged pregame ceremonies with Reds family members and Lighthouse representatives.

¡°¡®Shop the Cause¡¯ has been a home run from beginning to end, including the collaboration with all parties, engaging with the team¡¯s families and the chance to raise awareness and funds to help every young person in Cincinnati have a place to call home,¡± Lighthouse vice president and chief development officer Jessica Wabler said. ¡°Seeing the fans show their love for the team and neighbors through ¡®Shop the Cause¡¯ was terrific.¡±

The project has been a group effort from the start. The wives of Jake Fraley, Luke Maile, Fernando Cruz, Brent Suter, Carson Spiers, Sam Moll, Nick Lodolo, Julian Aguiar, Collin Cowgill, Matt Tracy and many other players and coaches have pitched in for the initiative.

With this being the project's first year, the group decided to stick with the bestselling items from around the league and customize them with Reds branding. Current merchandise includes shirts, jackets, hats, scrunchies and onesies.

¡°The process was fairly smooth, considering it was the first year,¡± said Erin Suter, wife of Reds pitcher Brent Suter. ¡°Many of us had worked with Tiny Turnip before to create custom clothing for ourselves and our kids throughout the baseball season, so we were familiar with their design style and quality, which made the partnership an easy choice. Tiny Turnip has sent us fabric and design samples, and we are able to piece together what colors and graphics we want on each item of clothing.¡±

While they leaned into more basic designs for year one, planning is already in full swing for year two. Fans should be on the lookout for new apparel and designs next season. The merchandise will feel very hometown-based while continuing the current line¡¯s trend of being fun and exciting.

¡°I'm most excited to see how our new designs turn out and to be able to wear?what we've created all season long,¡± Suter said. ¡°There has been so much thought, planning and effort put into the entire collection, and we hope Reds fans will love it.¡±

Most importantly, another year of fun new gear will be another year of helping youth in the Cincinnati community.

¡°Building on the success of ¡®Shop the Cause¡¯ and sustaining this wonderful initiative will make a world of difference for so many,¡± Wabler said.?¡°It¡¯s one more way for the team to build on the long tradition of giving back. The Reds are a symbol of community and pride for Cincinnati -- who better to help improve the lives of young people?? Working together, we can create a community where every young person has the chance to thrive.¡±

Want to get involved? Visit the Reds Team Shop, open year-round outside Great American Ball Park, to check out the latest merchandise in the ¡°Shop the Cause¡± line.