Latest / The Good Side of Sports Podcast / From Mini Pitches to Matchday Magic: Inside FC Cincinnati Foundation

Transcript

From Mini Pitches to Matchday Magic: Inside FC Cincinnati Foundation · The Good Side of Sports Podcast

0:41
Hello and welcome to another episode
0:45
of The Good Side of Sports Podcast, where we highlight the good being done by
0:48
athletes and organizations. I'm your host, Brian Hartong,
0:52
and today we're coming to you from the west side of Cincinnati inside
0:56
of the state-of-the-art TQL Stadium, which is home to FC Cincinnati,
1:01
as well as the FC Cincinnati Foundation, which is strengthening
1:05
the Cincinnati community through the sport of soccer. And joining me
1:08
today is Natalie Anderson, Vice President, Community Relations
1:12
and FC Cincinnati Foundation. I got a lot of editing to
1:16
do. Yeah. So, welcome to the show. So it's
1:20
a little rainy out here today. That's for sure.
1:23
With the background, it's still pretty amazing. I guess to
1:27
get started here, just let me find out a little bit about you and your
1:30
role here at the foundation. Yeah, so I joined the club 7 years ago,
1:35
and as you mentioned, I'm Vice President of Community Relations
1:39
and the FC Cincinnati Foundation.
1:42
So the mission of the FC Cincinnati Foundation
1:45
is to improve the lives of children through the game of soccer.
1:49
And we're very fortunate that we have a great ownership group
1:53
that also believes in our mission and is strong in moving
1:57
forward an initiative to make soccer accessible
2:01
to anybody that wants to play the game along the way and
2:07
really making the improvement to the people and the lives in the
2:11
community that we touch, especially right here in the West End, which is home to
2:15
our stadium. Okay. Is there like different initiatives that you guys have,
2:19
like, um, building, building soccer fields?
2:23
Sure. Yeah. So we have different pillars that are part of the foundation. So one
2:27
of those is our soccer in the community and how we show up there.
2:30
So we do build mini pitches, uh, which is bringing
2:35
safe spaces for kids to play the game of soccer. Uh,
2:38
a lot of those we build in urban neighborhoods. That you won't
2:42
see a lot of grass space. And a lot is to
2:46
introducing the sport because as you get into urban neighborhoods, soccer typically
2:51
has not been the sport of the neighborhood. So we're introducing
2:55
the game and also providing safe spaces for those to play
3:00
the sport and then open up programming for
3:04
facilities such as community centers and rec centers to bring soccer.
3:08
To their portfolio of sports that
3:12
they're facilitating as well. So to date, we've built 13 mini pitches.
3:16
And we are planning to continue
3:20
to build another 7 through the rest of this year.
3:25
And then we'll continue to build beyond that. So there are 3 different
3:29
kinds of prototypes that we build. We have a large size, a medium size,
3:32
and a smaller size that we're introducing this year. So based
3:36
on the need and the location that we're building, so we're starting to introduce
3:40
them into some schools.
3:44
So another avenue of play. And with that too,
3:47
we have where we do soccer in schools. We have a, a program
3:51
that runs as part of our Soccer Unites.
3:55
So where a former player, Omar Cummings,
3:59
goes in and facilitates soccer by taking over gym class.
4:03
Oh, so he'll spend, uh, 4 to 6 weeks in
4:07
a school taking over gym class and teaching soft-skilled soccer
4:11
to the kids, also doing character-building attributes along the
4:15
way. And then we're— when we are finished, we leave behind a playbook and the
4:19
equipment so the gym teachers can continue to facilitate soccer
4:23
beyond us being there. Do you guys sponsor like teams and stuff like that as
4:27
well? Yeah, so, uh, right here in the West End, we have our West End
4:31
Pride team that plays as part of Say East,
4:34
which is a large recreational soccer program.
4:38
And with that, um, it's open for free play and
4:42
free for any child that either lives in
4:45
the West End, their family,
4:49
or their— they attend school in the West End, their parents work in the West
4:52
End, or the family worships in the West End, uh, is available to them.
4:56
So we outfit each of these children with shorts,
4:59
socks, cleats, jerseys, shin guards,
5:03
um, to provide the proper equipment and safe play for them.
5:07
And then also we source all the volunteer coaches,
5:11
we cover all the fees that are associated with the program,
5:14
provide the beverages, the snacks, the end-of-season celebrations.
5:18
So really alleviating all those barriers that might come
5:22
to families so the kids can just get out and be active,
5:25
enjoy the game of the game that we all love. So when we first started
5:30
the program 3 years ago, we had
5:33
30 kids coming out to play. Again, not a big sport of the
5:38
West End community. And now we are seeing about 614
5:42
kids playing soccer throughout 2 seasons. We play
5:46
in the spring and we play in the fall. So we're getting ready to start
5:49
up our fall season here. Since inception, we've now seen
5:53
a couple of our teams advance to make the playoffs,
5:57
which is exciting. Um, and then hopefully one day we'll see
6:01
one of those kiddos make it to our academy team and
6:05
then make it to our first team and then hopefully join the national
6:08
stage on the U.S. men's national team and play in a World Cup.
6:12
That'd be, that'd be amazing. It would be something else, wouldn't it? For sure.
6:15
But, you know, we dream big just like we encourage kids
6:19
to dream big. Right, for sure. Do you have— are they all outdoor?
6:22
Are they indoor? So yeah, it's all outdoors. So, uh,
6:26
it's a spring recreation league, so they spring and fall.
6:29
So they play on, uh, fields and say
6:33
overall has different pockets of the neighborhoods that they serve.
6:36
So we play in part of, say, East. So then they play
6:40
other teams associated within that league. Okay,
6:42
so they're not all your team and you're playing? Yeah, so we
6:46
have 13 teams, okay, that play all in part
6:49
of West End Pride. Gotcha. So, um, it's, it's free to kids
6:53
ages 4 to 14. And then now we just actually in
6:58
the spring started our first high school team. So as the kids
7:01
have aged out, we now have enough kids that have aged out
7:06
of that first demographic that now want to continue to play.
7:09
So we have fielded— last spring we fielded our first high school team.
7:13
Well, that's cool. That's really— yeah, it's really cool how everyone's advancing.
7:17
It looks like we'll probably have 2 high school teams this year as
7:21
the numbers continue to grow. Um, is there any interaction or,
7:25
uh, participation from the players? Yeah, so we have had
7:28
players come out and join practices and encourage the kids.
7:32
They've come out to join our end-of-season celebration.
7:35
So we, uh, do an end-of-season celebration where we invite the
7:39
kids and their families to come in and celebrate, uh, a great season.
7:43
And, uh, Nick Hagelin and Roman Celentano have come out and
7:48
put medals around the kids' necks, high-five them, take team to
7:52
take a photo with their team. It's— and it's really great to see.
7:56
Nick Hagling, is he from Cincinnati? He is born and raised,
8:00
went to, you know, grew up in the area and
8:04
then went to college at Xavier and then was
8:07
drafted into MLS and started his career in
8:11
Toronto and then has— and then came back to Cincinnati.
8:15
And it's just the epitome of a hometown kid.
8:18
I've, uh, I did a previous episode with the Nuxall Foundation,
8:22
and he has one of their character cards. They have a character card series,
8:25
and he's on one of them. Yes. Yeah, so that was pretty neat to hear
8:29
his name in several different spaces. He must be really active in giving back and
8:33
stuff. And speaking of Nick, joining the show now to give a player's
8:38
perspective on what the FC Cincinnati Foundation means to them and
8:42
the community of Cincinnati as goal is Nick Haglund of FC
8:46
Cincinnati.
8:53
For me personally, being a part of the FC Cincinnati Foundation
8:57
has been, um, awesome. For me, I don't want
9:01
to be just an athlete that shows up on the field on
9:06
Saturdays. I want to be doing good things and being
9:09
a role model and showing kids what it means to care about your
9:13
community. And so having the FC Cincinnati Foundation that
9:16
marries soccer with doing good works in the community
9:20
is right up my alley. And so getting the opportunity to be with them and
9:24
work with them has been a huge blessing.
9:35
One experience that I will take with me forever, one person that I will take
9:38
with me forever through the FCC Foundation is Ben Wilson. Ben was
9:43
an awesome guy, big fan of the team.
9:47
He unfortunately had an 8-year battle with cancer. In his last month
9:51
or so, a bunch of people reached out from the community about
9:55
Ben. He was, you know, cheering for FC Cincinnati
9:59
in the Bailey. In the USL days,
10:03
huge fan, and they asked if a player could come by.
10:08
I got the call fortunately and got to meet Ben in
10:12
one of his last chemo treatments.
10:16
And for someone that had gone through 8 years of battling cancer's ups and
10:20
downs, this kid had the brightest smile on his face,
10:24
super happy, super self-
10:28
self-deprecating humor. Um, you could tell everyone around him, the nurses, his family, that he
10:32
was just such a joy to the community. Um,
10:35
and he had a catchphrase, be like Ben. And I think
10:38
for me, that's going to stay with me forever. No matter how difficult
10:43
things are, no matter how bleak the situation is, you can
10:46
always put a smile on your face, make people feel happy. And I think that's
10:50
what Ben did. And so for me, being able to help on his legacy is
10:53
something that I will remember forever.
11:01
I think being a professional athlete gives you a very unique opportunity to
11:06
show, um, making a difference in the community and
11:09
making a difference in people's lives. You know, as an athlete, you're in the
11:13
spotlight and you're scoring goals and you're defending,
11:17
and And everyone sees that and everyone wants to be you and grow up
11:21
and be like you. And I think it's very important to show
11:24
you that, you know, not just the game on
11:27
the field is important, but what you do outside of the field.
11:31
Being a role model is important. Being a part of the community is important.
11:35
You know, they see the things that you do on
11:39
the field, but off the field, what's important? And I feel like as
11:43
an athlete, it's important to use your platform to show that
11:47
you're not just a soccer player. You're a person that cares about the community,
11:50
cares about the people. You help people dream big. You help
11:55
others that are, you know, misfortuned, or you're being
11:58
kind and showing these little aspects. That's life.
12:02
And, you know, I think not every kid is going to be a professional
12:06
athlete like you, but everyone can make a difference like you.
12:09
And I think that's important. To share with the kids,
12:13
with the community, with the people that are around you to,
12:17
you know, make people realize that soccer is fun
12:22
and it's a game and we want to win,
12:25
but also winning off the field is more important
12:28
than anything.
12:37
The FCC Foundation programs that I love the
12:41
most, I would say, is the Learning is Cool.
12:45
I've been doing Learning is Cool for 8 years now,
12:49
and the idea is that kids that
12:53
are in Cincinnati Public Schools, if they get Bs
12:57
or As and are on the honor roll, they get the opportunity to go to
12:59
the zoo and they can meet all the players. And I think
13:03
it's a great opportunity. It's been fun over 8 years to see people
13:07
coming back every year, getting A's and B's, seeing new faces,
13:12
and just seeing kids, you know, light up when they see professional
13:16
athletes greeting them and telling them that learning is cool and asking them what their
13:19
favorite subjects are. And I think, you know, just how important
13:23
education is in our life to, you know, to succeed. I think
13:28
it's a great initiative that, you know,
13:32
for me, it's been cool to see over the years
13:36
kids keep showing up, kids keep being excited. They'll be like, oh, I saw
13:40
you a year ago. I saw you for the last 4 years. And you see
13:43
them growing and continually getting better at the random
13:47
pop quizzes I give them or, you know, tell me about their
13:51
new favorite book. So I really enjoy that
13:56
initiative, Learning is Cool at
14:02
the Zoo.
14:06
You know, looking back at my involvement with FC Cincinnati
14:09
and the FC Cincinnati Foundation, I think the feeling,
14:13
you know, for me, I think there's this phrase is how
14:17
you make people feel. You know, in this business
14:21
of sports, you get to, you know, if you win, you make people
14:25
happy. If you lose, you make people sad. You get the opportunity to make people
14:28
feel a certain way. And for me,
14:32
I take every interaction that I have on and off the field with
14:37
that sense of I can make someone feel like a million bucks.
14:41
I can help someone out. And so for me,
14:45
looking back on my time I hope that I just made people really happy.
14:48
I hope I make them feel capable. I hope I make them feel
14:51
like they can do anything. I hope that I can make them feel that
14:56
they are special, that they are important,
14:59
that they can also help out the
15:03
community, that they can be inspired by the things that I did
15:07
because I grew up in Cincinnati in their shoes, that they could just be like
15:11
me. Doing something that they love, but also being
15:15
a bright light in their community and helping out. He really embraces
15:20
being from Cincinnati and sharing his love for Cincinnati
15:24
and getting out into the community and really making an
15:28
impact off the field. Okay. Which is what you want to see,
15:32
you know, you want and hope to see from
15:35
everyone. As far as, is there any other initiatives or something like
15:39
with the— something with the pros. Served by the Pros. Yes. So Served by
15:43
the Pros has really become a signature event for us.
15:46
It serves as our largest fundraiser. Okay. So on
15:50
this night, it's a great night to help us raise funds
15:53
to be able to do what we do in the community, and then also
15:57
opens up an opportunity for fans to really have some one-on-one
16:01
interaction with our players because it's all of our first and second team players come
16:05
out for the night and help us put on this incredible night here
16:09
at TQL Stadium, from serving
16:12
food to the guests that night to— we bring in games
16:16
that they compete— can compete against the players, whether it's
16:20
putt-putt or this year we had a dunking booth so you could dunk a
16:24
player or a coach. Well, they can play Wheel of Fortune.
16:28
So just those different interactions to really have
16:31
that the stuff that you don't see off the field,
16:35
right? Or they get to interact with them off the field and really get to
16:39
know them personally and then get autographs
16:43
and take photos. And it's, it's just been a tremendous night. We raised a little
16:47
bit over $400,000 from the event this year, and it really allows
16:52
us to do what we do in the community and give back. So you're saying
16:55
that's probably the biggest— that's the biggest one that we do. Behind that,
16:59
we launched our inaugural golf classic last
17:03
year. So this year will be our our second year for that, and that one
17:06
kind of aligns more with supporting our scholarships. We started a scholarship
17:10
fund last year also to send, uh,
17:13
a high— a graduating student that wants to pursue their education
17:18
further from the West End to attend, uh, the University of Cincinnati.
17:22
So funds raised through our golf outing support the scholarships. How many
17:26
teams did you have at the golf outing, do you know? Uh,
17:29
last year we had 24 teams for our first
17:33
one, and we look to double the field this year. So September 28th.
17:38
So we're a little bit about a little bit over a month away.
17:42
So yeah, we look to double participation there, which means just doubling
17:46
the funds that we raise to send more kids to college.
17:48
Okay. Well, that's, that's a great— and then behind that we
17:52
have our Ladies Lace Up event. This one's a little bit different.
17:56
This one we get support from our coaching staff that comes in.
17:59
So it's a— think of it, it's a Soccer 101 for
18:03
women. So it's a great night. We host it out at our training center.
18:06
So we bring in about 120 25 women that night for camaraderie,
18:11
uh, and then they hit the pitch with our coaches and they learn
18:15
soft skills soccer from our coaches. Our head coach Pat
18:19
Noonan does a chalk talk with the women in the auditorium,
18:23
and it's just a really great night for them to get a real sense of
18:26
behind the scenes of what happens out at our training center and then what the
18:30
players go through while they train when they're not on the pitch playing a match.
18:33
Was that the first year? Was this year? No, this was— this year was year
18:36
7, so we, uh, we did that right out of the gate
18:40
to back in 2019. So the foundation launched, uh, in 2018,
18:43
and then in 2019 we started introducing
18:47
all of our programs and then our fundraising events that support,
18:51
uh, all the work that we're doing. Um, besides soccer, is there
18:55
any other like educational or any of the other initiatives that you guys— Yeah,
18:58
so we have, um, our Learning is Cool program, which actually
19:02
has been in existence for 18 years here in the city.
19:05
It originated over at the Marvin Lewis Community Fund Uh, so this
19:09
one, um, recognizes and rewards kids for making the
19:12
A honor roll. Uh, and when Coach Lewis was departing from Cincinnati,
19:17
the goal was for it to find a new home because it was a proven
19:20
program with proven results, and FCC had just launched
19:24
the foundation. So they so generously offered
19:29
to take it in and make it one of their education pillars here in the
19:32
city. So it's been thriving for 18 years now,
19:35
which is exciting. Uh, we reach about 24,000
19:40
kids through that program right out of the gate. Um, so as
19:43
mentioned, it recognizes and rewards kids for making the A Honor Roll.
19:47
So for every quarter they make the A Honor Roll, we send them a letter
19:50
of congratulations, and then they get some type of reward,
19:53
um, for their achievement. And then if they make the A Honor Roll 2
19:58
or more times during the school year, they get invited to what we call the
20:00
Academic Achievement Celebration. We host that at the end
20:04
of the school year at the Cincinnati Zoo. And here again,
20:08
all of our first and second team players come out.
20:12
The students receive 3 free tickets to come and enjoy the
20:16
zoo with their family. And then that night, the zoo is closed to the public
20:20
and open to just these students to come. And that's where our players show
20:24
up. And we set up an area where they can come and get a medal
20:27
achievement. So the players put a medal around their necks, they offer high
20:31
fives. They take photos, sign autographs, and then we also
20:34
station them in other areas throughout the zoo that night so they
20:39
can interact with them there. So you may see them riding the train or
20:42
riding the carousel or feeding a giraffe,
20:45
and it's a great night. So we invited over 8,000
20:50
students back on July 15th to join us at
20:54
the zoo. Wow. So it's funny, everywhere, everywhere.
20:57
Since I've been doing this, I've been noticing like players love— I
21:00
think they love doing this stuff. Yeah, they love getting in there and meeting their
21:05
fans, and, and it only grows the game for sure. I mean,
21:08
you're saying, hey, I just talked to Nick Agla yesterday. And so sports has a
21:12
really unique way of bringing
21:16
together community, so, um,
21:20
and then leveraging their celebrity voice And
21:26
what we have found with kids, it's really that somebody outside of their
21:30
family unit cares about their education,
21:32
cares about that they want to play soccer and giving
21:36
them the ability to do so. So when you have guys
21:40
like Nick Haglund or Miles Robinson or Obi
21:45
Nwobodo that are— they see the value and want to give back,
21:49
whether it's in their home countries or or
21:53
their hometowns or the cities that they're playing in,
21:56
it really shifts that impact that we as a
21:59
club are able to do. Um, you know, we, we have, like I
22:03
mentioned, that we have a great ownership group behind us that sees the true value
22:07
of giving back and being present in the community. And then when you
22:11
add that level of a player that also wants
22:15
to make an impact off the pitch, it just sells what you're able
22:18
to do and motivate and incentivize kids to
22:22
think bigger than what they already do. And that all these
22:26
guys started at some point, they were all their age at one point,
22:29
and they all had a dream. And now they're living their
22:33
dream. And it doesn't mean that they also
22:36
can't follow in the same footsteps. And it's not just their teachers,
22:40
and it's not just their parents telling them that they can do whatever
22:44
they want to do and to set goals for themselves and want to dream
22:49
big and make change, and it's really a remarkable thing.
22:53
All right. Um, do you guys partner with any nonprofits
22:57
or anything like that? So we are really in a unique situation
23:01
here. When we went— when we built the stadium here in the
23:04
West End, we went into what is really a one-of-a-kind,
23:08
um, community of benefits agreement with the, with the
23:12
West End community. So we committed
23:16
to investing $100,000 into the West End every year
23:20
for 30 years. So to date, we've invested $700,000
23:24
into the West End community, um, and we have a grant program
23:28
where any nonprofit that operates
23:32
within the West End can apply for a grant. Or if they do not operate
23:36
within the West End, if they are going to serve
23:39
the community of the West End, then they can apply for a grant.
23:43
And we open up that grant cycle twice a year, so we do one in
23:46
the bring in one in the fall. Okay, so, um, that will support any
23:50
nonprofit that either operates or will directly impact
23:54
the residents of the West End. How many do you think— how many nonprofits have
23:58
you serviced or given grants to, you think? So, oh my goodness,
24:01
um, I would say over 7 years
24:05
now, twice a year. Oh my gosh, I don't know
24:09
if I can do the math that quick. That's okay, putting me on the spot.
24:12
It's too many, too many. A lot, a lot, a lot more to come,
24:16
right? Exactly. Um, is there any specific
24:20
things that you can think of, like a story or an experience or interaction that
24:24
you've seen personally at one of the benefits or
24:27
anything that's really stuck out to you or stuck with you? Um,
24:33
yes, there, you know, when mentioning our Learning is Cool program, when,
24:37
um, you're at the zoo that night and these
24:41
kids are so proud of themselves and their parents are proud
24:45
of them and They walk in wearing medals from several
24:49
years of achievement. And then you get
24:53
to talk to Grandma who is there, and she tells you that
24:58
her— she's there with her grandson celebrating her grandson, who is now the
25:01
third generation of— or second generation that has
25:05
been through the program. Like her daughter went through the program and now she's there
25:08
with her grandson celebrating. Those are the special moments
25:12
where, you know, you're really, truly making an impact. Or when
25:16
you're with the West End Pride kids and they've scored their
25:20
first goal and, um, or they get to interact with the,
25:23
the players and you hear them say like, this is the best
25:27
day of my life. And you know, those little moments,
25:31
that those are the ones that resonate with you, that like it doesn't
25:35
matter all the blood, sweat, and tears that you put into things, it's those
25:39
moments that stop you in your tracks and say This
25:43
is truly something special. When you're able
25:46
to— just a couple of weeks ago, we had
25:50
our Kick Cancer Night, and you meet
25:54
and hear stories from people in the community that
25:58
have been impacted by cancer in certain, in different ways, whether it's
26:02
a child that is fighting through it or has beat
26:07
it or an adult. Um, you know,
26:11
each story has its own meaning and
26:15
impact. And then, um, when you're able to create special
26:19
moments— we had a young man who unfortunately lost his
26:22
battle to brain cancer. Um, he was set to deliver
26:26
the match ball for the Kick Cancer Night, and a month before he
26:29
was due to do so, he lost his battle with brain
26:33
cancer. And Nick,
26:38
not to be continuing to go back to Nick,
26:41
but Nick, we knew he was coming
26:45
to the match that night and somebody had gifted them tickets
26:48
to come to the match. He was a big FCC fan from our early days
26:52
at UC in the supporter sections in the Bailey.
26:56
And so someone had given
27:00
them tickets for him to come out to the match and it just so happened
27:03
to be our Kick Cancer Night. They had no idea. And he had been battling
27:07
brain cancer for 7 years at that point. And so
27:11
someone had reached out to say, hey, would one of your players
27:15
be open to making a video letting him know that he has these tickets to
27:18
attend? And we said yes, and we're going to level it up and
27:22
we're going to ask him to deliver the match ball too. So Nick creates this
27:26
great video. We're getting ready to send it. And then we find out
27:29
that he unfortunately was in the hospital. So Nick
27:34
does as Nick does, and Nick goes to the hospital to visit him and really,
27:38
like, just gives him a moment that he wasn't expecting and just
27:42
really made an impact on the family. So after
27:47
he had passed, we'd said, you know, we'd still like the family to deliver the
27:50
match ball in his memory, and they did
27:54
so that night. And just talking with them and learning that,
27:57
like, For just a few minutes, we were able to give them a
28:02
moment of happiness through what was a very
28:06
dark time for them. That following that weekend, they were— they
28:10
had the celebration of life. So there was kind of that—
28:14
we gave them that moment to maybe forget about things for a quick second,
28:18
but also in that moment, celebrate everything he
28:22
was to the family and to the community. Um, in those
28:25
special moments, you, you know, are created through
28:29
sport. And again, like, sport brings a very unique
28:33
aspect to things that maybe always
28:37
are not the easiest things to talk about, but then create
28:40
these special pocket moments that really celebrate
28:45
other things around it. Okay. Yeah, that's— you're right.
28:49
This gives you chills. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, we, you know, there was another family
28:53
that I worked with where, um, Again, it was Kick Cancer Night
28:57
and we were— we invited him to come deliver the
29:01
match ball. And he just was a young kid
29:05
playing soccer, diagnosed with bone cancer
29:08
in one of his legs, unfortunately had to have his leg amputated.
29:13
And it was kind of the— he was still going through chemo. It was really
29:16
the first time that anybody had asked him to do
29:20
something outside of that. He was very— had kind of withdrawn from being in
29:24
public, and they weren't sure, like, if he
29:28
would want to do it. And, um, so he said
29:31
yes. His parents were on board. He said yes.
29:35
Um, and his mom said for the first time she kind of saw
29:39
him smile about something, be excited about something. And they had
29:43
to change his treatment, and he walked into treatment and said to the
29:47
nurses, I've got a very important job to do, so let's get this
29:50
done. Um, delivered the match ball that night and
29:54
then kind of kept up with him throughout the year.
29:58
And then a year later, he is walking
30:03
with a prosthetic. We invited him back. He did our sword
30:07
ritual, pulled the sword, uh, is playing
30:11
amputee soccer. Wow. So to see like what
30:16
a difference a year makes and the strides that he has made from what
30:20
was you know, not such a great moment to, you know,
30:23
now you have him thriving. So I've run into
30:27
the Cincy Hat Foundation a bunch of times. Yeah. And did you
30:31
have— you guys, was it recently you guys did it or— So we did a
30:34
collab with them around 513 Day. Okay.
30:37
Ted Karras, another great Cincinnati—
30:41
great. I don't believe he's from Cincinnati, but I'm going
30:45
to call him a Cincinnatian. We're going to claim him doing amazing
30:49
things for the community. I mean, he's done— he— I know did a lot of
30:53
great work back in Indianapolis with the Village of Marici,
30:56
where it first originally started, the whole concept behind the Cincy
31:00
Hat. And now he's really making a positive
31:04
impact for individuals with disabilities here in Cincinnati.
31:08
And Ted was pulling the sword that night.
31:12
So we said, what another great way to celebrate another great
31:16
organization here in Cincinnati. And we did a collab around the Scentsy
31:20
hats and all those proceeds went to both the
31:24
foundations. Oh, that's awesome. Yeah, that's good. So just amazing.
31:27
Yeah. So I met Matt, who runs the foundation.
31:31
I did an episode with him and yeah, he's one
31:35
of her favorites because they're— I mean, what they do
31:39
and what they've pulled off in such a short amount of time.
31:43
And, you know, I got to know Matt kind of right at the beginning and
31:47
to know that they were packaging all those hats on their own, shipping them out
31:50
and And Ted was right there in the trenches with them,
31:54
and that, you know, that he isn't afraid to get in there and
31:58
do it and has all these grand ideas of what he wants to do and
32:01
what's coming next, and they keep evolving. It's great.
32:04
It's, you know, Cincinnati is a small city with
32:08
big dreams. Um, you have a lot of great nonprofits
32:13
doing great work here in the city, um, and a
32:16
great community that's supports all of us to thrive.
32:20
Yeah, it seems like it's a common theme that this city, it's all
32:23
about the city. Yeah, you know, they support everything. Yes.
32:27
So it is a very unique situation for what I've run into and,
32:31
and other things. Um, we're about done. Um, is there anything
32:35
that you see on the horizon that, that you guys are looking forward to?
32:38
Um, you know, to continue to grow the sports.
32:41
Um, you know, coming out of World Cup What a spectacular
32:45
summer. And to see,
32:48
I mean, just to watch everything across the entire
32:52
country of soccer and really
32:55
sparking people that maybe haven't been
32:59
watching soccer or following soccer and now they are.
33:02
And it's just another great way for us to continue to
33:06
build the sport and build the excitement and really make an impact.
33:10
Um, through the mission of what we, what we strive to do every
33:14
day. Um, and it's, you know, not only there's
33:17
so much excitement that happens on the pitch, but then there's so
33:21
much excitement that happens off the pitch. Yeah. And,
33:25
um, the— anytime that we can create those special moments,
33:28
and if you can change or have
33:32
an impact just on one person's life or change the trajectory
33:35
of one person's life, because then you hope that in turn,
33:39
they're going to continue to do that themselves
33:42
and pass it on, whatever. Yes. And it continues to pass on. And what,
33:46
you know, they felt by something we may have done,
33:50
they in turn then do that for somebody else. And that's all you can
33:53
hope for, right? You can always hope for just building
33:57
a stronger community and that everything continues
34:01
to live well beyond me being here
34:04
and FCC being here. You know,
34:08
that, that's the ultimate goal. Oh man, that's awesome. Well,
34:11
that's all I got. And that concludes our show. So tune in
34:14
next time when I bring you another great foundation supporting an amazing cause.
34:18
And remember, share your good side out there,