On July 24, the Reds Community Fund, P&G, and the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, along with more than a dozen additional partners, brought the 2025 Community Makeover to Cincinnati’s Walnut Hills neighborhood.
The annual service day, which included over 500 volunteers, helps transform an urban community, thanks to the leadership of P&G and the Zoo, along with partners such as Cincinnati Children’s, GE Aerospace, Kroger, the United Way of Greater Cincinnati and the Greater Cincinnati Foundation. The Cincinnati Recreation and Cincinnati Public Schools are also key partners in the year-long effort leading up to the service day.
This year’s projects spanned five sites in Walnut Hills, with each receiving various upgrades and beautification. Projects were completed at the Frederick Douglass School, Dr. O’dell Owens Center for Learning, Bush Recreation Center, and Ashland Recreation Area. Across from Frederick Douglass Elementary, a community garden was brought back to life as well.
Reds President and Chief Executive Officer Phil Castellini recalled the humble beginnings of the Community Makeover while reflecting on its current scope during the closing ceremony of the day’s events.
“I remember one of the first [Community Makeover] projects had a ball field with some historic old bleachers that were rebuilt. We thought that was scale,” Castellini said. “We’re 16 years old, so we're old enough to drive now, which is necessary when you're covering five sites, three different playgrounds, two community gardens and walking trails right here in this park. It just goes to show what we can do when we come together as a community and do projects that matter and have meaningful impacts in communities like this.”
Over 20 partners combined efforts for this year’s Community Makeover, which is the most the event has included in its history.
This year’s effort included more garden work than in past years. One extraordinary outcome took place at the Dr. O’dell Owens Center for Learning, where a seldom-used bus turnaround was transformed into a flora-filled urban learning garden. Over 1,000 perennial and pollinator plants and over 100 trees were planted across Walnut Hills.
It’s a no-brainer that horticulture was a common theme in the Community Makeover’s Walnut Hills vision. Be it trees, flowers or a simple shrub, the importance of planting that vegetation wasn’t lost upon the Director of the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, Thane Maynard.
“It really is for the good of the community because somebody planted these plants in this little park a long time ago with a good idea,” Maynard said. “They'll thank us 75 years from now when we grow all the plants that we've planted to have that happen. We're glad to be a partner of it and it's a good idea that just keeps growing.”
Maynard added that the zoo is “blessed” to be in Cincinnati and that the Zoo’s staff loves being able to get out and plant plants, joking that they “can't let the animals out, but we can let the plants out.”
At Bush Recreation Center, nonprofit partner Sleep in Heavenly Peace set up shop in the parking lot to craft 50 beds for families in need. The organization’s work holds a special place in Reds pitcher Brent Suter’s heart due to a family connection.
Suter’s father, Mike, has been heavily involved with Sleep in Heavenly Peace since his recent retirement. For the second year in a row, Suter made an appearance along with his family at the Community Makeover, getting involved with some work and greeting volunteers. For him, events like this mean so much more, as he grew up in Cincinnati.
“This is home. We got married here, had two of our three kids here. [Cincinnati] is home and we'll be here forever,” Suter said. “We want to make this community, as good as it can be and help as many people as we can along the way. Baseball is a great platform to do that. Playing for the Reds has been a dream come true for me, and we just want to extend that dream into our community efforts. That's why we're here today. We love everything that's going on today. It's amazing.”
Having lived in Walnut Hills when he and his wife Erin were first married, this Community Makeover meant a lot to Suter. The Reds left-handed reliever noted that the work of the Reds Community Fund is incredibly special, saying that “they pour their heart and soul into fields and communities.” Suter recently joined the Community Fund board.
The community revitalization had so many different pieces. As beds were being built at Bush Recreational Center, SonLight Power installed a rooftop solar array at the Frederick Douglass School. While a community garden was being fostered on Park Avenue, murals were being painted in multiple locations. Simultaneously, close to 300 community members were picking up free toys and shoes, thanks to Shoes 4 the Shoeless and Toys for Tots. Plus, the 513Relief Bus was back, providing important resources to Walnut Hills residents. This all goes to show some of the wide-ranging ways that the Community Makeover can and does immediately impact some of Cincinnati’s most vulnerable neighborhoods.
Nicole Isaacs, the principal of the Dr. O’dell Owens Center for Learning, recounted what it was like to participate in the Community Makeover and witnessing the impact.
“We are so thrilled to be a part of this and very excited,” Isaacs said. “When we walked into the cafeteria today and families were coming in and were getting the Toys for Tots toys and the Shoes 4 the Shoeless, we got to see 300 families get new shoes for their kids today. That was touching. We are super appreciative to be a part of this process. I can't wait for our kiddos to walk through those doors and drive in the parking lot and see the difference that this project has made on each of their lives.”
Dating back to 2010, the Community Makeover has evolved in remarkable ways. More than a dozen neighborhoods have felt the impact, with new partners added and a more ambitious scope each year. As Reds Community Fund executive director Charley Frank, who has taken part in each project, shared afterwards, “the goal each year is to make a meaningful, authentic and lasting impact for every child and family in that neighborhood. Our partners certainly made that happen this year in Walnut Hills.”