Sports Games for Kids
"The game may only last a few hours, but the memories we make last a lifetime."
Who We Are
Sports Games for Kids is a 501(c)3 charity focused on bringing the joy of professional and collegiate level sports to children facing hardships in their young lives. We aim to give a lasting special memory to children from foster care programs, children's hospitals and homeless shelters. By providing an all expenses paid trip to games in our service area, the kids are able to experience a sense of normalcy and fun, without the financial burden of such an event. The kids and their chaperones are provided with a free in-game meal, snacks, drinks and a souvenir t-shirt to remember the day by. They are led in cheers and are taught about the game by the Cincy Super Fan. Additional fun is planned according to the individual events (including: posters, costumes, pre-game fan parades and even player autographs). According to https://www.teammarketing.com/, it costs upwards of $250 for a family of 4 to attend a Baseball game in Cincinnati (including tickets, parking, food and drinks and a souvenir hat). Many families, especially those paying heavy medical bills, those living in impoverished conditions, or foster parents who care for multiple children, could not afford such an event. By providing our services to these families, the kids are able to have that special memory of the first time they entered the stadium to see their home team play.
Our board consists entirely of volunteers, so that there are no administration costs associated with our charity. We work tirelessly to find ways of saving money on events so that every dollar raised goes further to helping bring this joy to as many children as possible. Fundraisers are held at little to no cost by finding local businesses, sponsors and outside groups which share our values who hold these fundraisers on our behalf, or that host the events free of charge to us. It is our firm belief that every effort should be made to keep donations focused on the programs we provide. We recommend checking our Guidestar profile for a more in-depth look at how we operate: http://www.guidestar.org/profile/47-3616507. Sports Games for Kids is a 501(c)3 non-profit charity, which aims to bring children facing hardships an all expense paid day of fun watching their favorite local sports teams. The kids and their families are provided with tickets, parking, souvenir t-shirts, a pregame or mid-game meal, snacks and drinks. Throughout every event, the kids are escorted by the Cincy Super Fan, who teaches the children about the team and the sport, and leads them in fun cheers.
Through fundraising and corporate sponsorship we have been able to take over 400 kids to Reds, Bearcats Basketball, Bearcats Football, Dayton Dragons and FC|Cincinnati games in just two years. In addition to purchasing the Reds games tickets, RGFK members and volunteers ensure the kids have the complete ballpark experience. We spend time interacting with the kids by showing them around the ballpark, playing with them in the Fan-Zone before the game starts, teaching them to cheer for the Reds, and providing them with their own baseball cards, a "snack pack" and a ballpark hot dog.
HOW WE STARTED
In the Cincinnati Reds off-season of 2013-2014 we (a group of dedicated Reds fans known as the “Power Stack Pack” (aka the PSP)) realized how lucky we were to have fond memories of attending Reds games as children, many of us fell in love with the game as children. We decided to share our love of baseball and the Cincinnati Reds with children whom may never otherwise get to experience the joy of a day at the ballpark.
So, during the 2014 baseball season a fundraiser was started and the PSP hosted the first ever “Reds Games for Kids” event. Through the "fundraiser", which primarily consisted of our own donations and the donations from friends and family of the PSP , 85 kids from the Children’s Home of Cincinnati were able to attend a Reds game. We provided each child with a snack pack full of goodies and water. During the game a steady chant of “Let’s Go Reds!” could be heard from our section. We cheered, we smiled, and a day of memories was made.
The kids were very grateful, leaving us with many hand drawn “Thank You” cards. It was an unforgettable experience for both the kids and us. The power of this one experience has led us to create this non-profit organization to continue to share our love of baseball with children in the greater Cincinnati area.
SO WHY RGFK RATHER THAN SGFK?
Well, when we began in 2013, the goal was simply to bring kids to a baseball game. We had no idea how fun and rewarding it would be! So when we decided to do more events, we called ourselves "Reds Games for Kids" and began making social media pages and a website. However, when we began working to become an officially recognized 501c3 organization we realized that if our goal is to bring this experience to as many children as possible, we shouldn't limit ourselves to one team! Thus, in our official filings, Sports Games for Kids became our legal name, and Reds Games for Kids became the founding program of our charity. Our programs now include events at numerous sports and teams including: the Cincinnati Reds, Cincinnati Bearcats Football, Cincinnati Bearcats Basketball, Cincinnati Cyclones, Dayton Dragons, Florence Y'alls, FC Cincinnati, and Cincinnati Dutch Lions.
OFFICIAL FOUNDING
Sports Games for Kids became an official organization on May 28th, 2015 and in June received it was granted 501c3 status by the IRS. Our Tax ID is 47-3616507.
Please view additional information about our past and future events, as well as how to give to our organization. We would love donations of time, money, corporate sponsorship, and/or raffle items.
Our Board of Directors
The current serving directors on our board.
Tom R. Grabo
Chief Executive Officer and President
Geologist by day, Philanthropist by night, and Cincy Super Fan on weekends. Tom Grabo graduated from the University of Cincinnati with B.S. degrees in both Biology
and Geology in 2012.
Jen Pennington
Secretary
Former baseball mom turned proud army mom. Excited to have the opportunity to work with kids in our community!
Kari Maue
Treasurer
Keeping our books running smoothly, Kari Maue graduated from Ohio University in 2006 and is a Certified Public Accountant.
