When it comes to the Reds Caravan, players, alumni and broadcasters are met with a warm welcome at every stop they make. But make no mistake -- the biggest response always comes from the littlest voices when the Caravan stops at schools throughout Reds Country.

Traveling through five states over the course of three days, the four legs of the Caravan stopped to greet fans at schools, radio stations, businesses, hospitals and other locations on their 3,500-mile journey.

For the west leg, the tour got started on Thursday morning at Sunman Elementary School in Indiana. As the bus pulled up and the doors to the school opened, the sounds of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” rang out as all the students sang along in the gymnasium awaiting the arrival of their Reds visitors. The excitement level never wavered from that point to the end of the visit, as Amir Garrett, Josh VanMeter, Jonathan India and others answered questions, threw Reds swag to the crowd, signed autographs and took pictures.

Garrett, a Caravan veteran, looked to be having just as much fun as the youngsters he was interacting with.

“Just seeing them have a smile on their face, that kind of effect you can have on kids,” Garrett said. “They’re very impressionable, so for us to come out here and hang out with them -- I’m a big kid myself -- so enjoying the short time we have with them is amazing.”

Each year, the Reds receive more and more submissions asking for the Caravan to stop at different schools. While they can’t honor every request, this year the annual January fan tour stopped at more schools than ever before. And for many, it is the highlight of the year.

Pamela Guilliams, principal at Sunman Elementary, was informed just a week prior that the Caravan would be stopping at her school. Unbeknownst to her, an instructional assistant had submitted Sunman into the contest. Since finding out, the talk of the school was about Thursday’s visit.

“The excitement level was just unreal,” Guilliams said. “Just being able to bring a little bit of the entertainment from the city to our small town is such a fabulous experience for them. Some of our kids, to get to go to a game may not be their reality, so bringing them here is awesome.”

This excitement level was matched at every other school stop on the Caravan. Whether it was Minor Leaguer Narciso Crook joining students in helping teach Reds alumnus Corky Miller the "floss" at Celina Intermediate School, new Red Mike Moustakas racing his coach and other Caravan mates across the gym at Shenandoah Middle School, an entire gym full of students singing "Old Town Road" at William Natcher Elementary or Rosie Red playing a little one-on-one basketball against a lucky student at Shelby County West Middle School, each school stop offered something unique.

And just when you thought the players had heard every question a baseball player could be asked, elementary students always deliver.

“Is the helmet heavy on your head?”

“How do you pitch so fast?”

When the players reacted to and answered these questions, they looked to be having just as much fun as the students, if not more. It’s what makes the Reds Caravan such a great experience and the reason it happens year after year.

“The Reds do a good job with these Caravans,” Garrett said. “I didn’t really have anything like that when I was their age. It’s fantastic for the fans, and I think it’s awesome.”