As a part of Major League Baseball’s annual Players’ Weekend, players across the league will take the field with customized gear during games played August 16-18. For a large contingent of Reds players, they’ll be putting local art on display courtesy of patients and families from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.

This weekend, among the items Reds players will wear are custom cleats designed and painted by children and families from Cincinnati Children’s. The idea originated from outfielder TJ Friedl, who frequently visits the hospital during the season. The Reds were able to team up with Devin Young and his local shoe customizing company, D’s Heat Customs, to bring the idea to life.

“Having Players’ Weekend back is something special, and when I was told we could customize cleats, I asked if there was a way to send some white cleats to [Cincinnati] Children’s Hospital and have them decorated,” Friedl said. “Ever since I’ve been with the Reds, coming to Children’s is something special for me, so whenever I can I try to make an effort to come and just visit with the kids.”

In addition to Friedl, participating players include Andrew Abbott, Will Benson, Jeimer Candelario, Santiago Espinal, Stuart Fairchild, Buck Farmer, Jake Fraley, Ty France, Hunter Greene, Jonathan India, Jakob Junis, Nick Lodolo, Noelvi Marte, Sam Moll, Tony Santillan, Carson Spiers, Spencer Steer and Brent Suter.

Sierra Sparks is the creative strategist for Seacrest Studios, a closed-circuit TV and radio station inside Cincinnati Children’s through which patients are exposed to a unique and hands-on broadcasting experience. Its goal is to positively impact all hospital patients and their families during their hospital stays through therapeutic and interactive programming that brings excitement and encourages optimism during treatment and recovery. Sparks had the pleasure of informing the young creators about the project.

“The kids were super excited about it. They really enjoyed having full creative freedom, and I think that’s the cool part about the whole thing was they could do whatever they wanted with it,” she said. “At Seacrest Studios and Cincinnati Children’s as a whole, we like to give kids the freedom to be kids when we can, and this was one of those settings where they could bring their ideas to life.”

On Monday, the players’ cleats were sent to Cincinnati Children’s to be decorated by the patients and families. The next day, a handful of players — Friedl, Abbott, Farmer and Junis — headed over to Seacrest Studios to meet some of the artists and check out the finished products.

“It was amazing walking in the room and seeing them all set up. Seeing all the designs, meeting some of the kids and hearing them explain their ideas and inspiration behind the cleats,” Friedl said. “And then I got mine and had the chance to meet AnnaReese who decorated them. It was cool because she looked into what I liked and knew my guilty pleasure was Taco Bell, so she designed mine based on that and did great.”

The children were provided with information about the players to help jumpstart inspiration if needed. One of Candelario’s cleats, painted by a child named Da’Kari, features the Dominican Republic flag in recognition of the country the infielder moved to when he was five years old and currently calls home in the offseason. One of India’s cleats includes a portrait of the second baseman — which artist Noah modestly rated a “12 out of 10” in terms of likeness — complete with his signature hairstyle.

Another of the artists, Addyson, crafted SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star-inspired cleats for Steer, an ode to the Reds RBI leader’s favorite cartoon as a kid. She was thrilled to show off her creativity and expressed how special the opportunity to participate was for her and her fellow kids at the hospital.

“It’s a great opportunity for kids in the hospital to be able to do something so they’re not stuck in their rooms,” Addyson said. “And it’s a great little reminder for them that there are people out there who are thinking of them. When you’re stuck in a hospital, you feel kind of forgotten, so it’s a great way for them to realize that there are people out there who are still rooting for them and want them to feel included in the outside life.”

What makes the initiative even more special is after the weekend, the cleats will be included in an online auction with all proceeds benefiting Cincinnati Children’s.

“I’m super grateful for our partnership with the Reds, it’s one of my favorite organizations to work with,” Sparks said. “Knowing the players and the organization enjoy coming to Cincinnati Children’s, enjoy the impact they make and want to continually contribute, it just feels great. And the fact that these funds are coming back to create more memorable and interactive experiences for our patients and their families is truly awesome.”

Cleats and additional items worn during Players’ Weekend will be available to bid on next week at reds.com/auction.

About MLB Players’ Weekend
Throughout the weekend, players will have the platform to celebrate the interests, backstories, causes and people that are important to them.

Different aspects of the players’ lives will be highlighted each day through game presentation elements at the ballpark, broadcast features with media partners, social media content and more.

– Friday – Fun: Highlighting the fun aspects of players’ personalities, friendships and hobbies.

– Saturday – Causes: The focus turns to causes, charities and community initiatives that are important to players.

– Sunday – Appreciation: Players get to show their appreciation and celebrate the people who helped them on their road to the Major Leagues.