P&G, the Cincinnati Reds, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden have selected the Cincinnati neighborhood of Avondale for the 2020 Community Makeover.

Now a decade old, the 2020 ‘Makeover’ will be the most ambitious to date with six project zones at the following sites in Avondale:

1. Larona Park/Avondale Beautification: Upgrade shelter, lighting and add walking trail at Larona Park; plant trees and remove honeysuckle throughout Avondale
2. Rockdale Academy: New all-abilities playground and outdoor STEM classroom; Interior renovation for new community room
3. Rockdale/Harvey Ballfield and Park: Ball field renovations; new playground and basketball court; improved drainage
4. U.S. Bank Boys & Girls Club & Crest Smile Shoppe: Improve facilities and resources for the after-school program
5. South Avondale Elementary School: Indoor renovations and outdoor enhancements to playground and football field
6. Blair Ball Fields: Two ball field renovations, new playground and other park amenities

Preliminary work is scheduled to begin in the spring and the community will be invited to a ground-breaking ceremony at a date to be announced.

The projects will culminate on August 6 when more than 500 volunteers from partners and the community will join Reds Community Fund staff and board members for the day-long service project.

“Our goal of the Community Makeover project is to reach every child and family in Avondale,” said Charley Frank, executive director, Reds Community Fund. “And the timing is right for the Makeover to return to Avondale. The 2013 project at Gabriel’s Place and Hirsch Recreation Center expanded our team beyond P&G and the Reds to include the Cincinnati Zoo and Cincinnati Children’s. Both have remained with the Makeover ever since and have helped build a remarkable vision for 2020.”

The Makeover is the recipient of a Community Development grant from Cincinnati Children’s to improve child and community health in Avondale.

“Cincinnati Children’s is extremely proud to be a lead sponsor for the Reds Community Makeover coming to Avondale this year,” said Michael Fisher, president and CEO, Cincinnati Children’s. “This transformative project is an opportunity for Cincinnati Children’s team members to volunteer alongside our neighbors, friends, and other partners to directly benefit kids and the community we call home.”

Many of the projects will promote vibrant and healthy lifestyles through outdoor activities by leveraging expertise from community partners.

Additional project partners include Cincinnati Public Schools, OneSource Center, Cincinnati ToolBank, Kroger, Cincinnati Recreation Commission, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Cincinnati, City of Cincinnati and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Cincinnati.

Updated information on the Community Makeover can be found at www.reds.com/Makeover including project details and volunteer opportunities.

About the Community Makeover

The annual Community Makeover is designed to bring together some of Cincinnati’s oldest and most iconic institutions together with local community partners to make a transformative and sustainable impact on a Cincinnati neighborhood while strengthening youth baseball and softball programs. 

P&G and the Reds Community Fund have partnered since 2010 for the Community Makeover and continue to provide project leadership along with several hundred volunteers. The Cincinnati Zoo joined in 2013 bringing a wealth of experience in horticulture, design, construction and sustainable maintenance to the projects. 

Past Community Makeover projects:

• 2019: St. Bernard – Ross Park, Frank Robinson Field and St. Bernard Community Room
• 2018: Roselawn – New Prospect Baptist Church and the Summit Center
• 2017: Evanston – Hoffman School, Hoffman Ballfields and Wayne Lurix Memorial Nature Playscape
• 2016: Lower Price Hill – Evans Field and playground, Community Gardens and Joe Williams Family Center
• 2015: West End – Seven Hills Neighborhood Houses, Sands School playground and Dyer Ballfields
• 2014: South Cumminsville – Wayne Ballfields and Millvale Recreation Center
• 2013: Avondale – Gabriel’s Place, Hirsch Recreation Center and Hirsch ballfields
• 2012: Cheviot – Memorial Fields, historic grandstand and Cheviot Memorial Fieldhouse 
• 2011: North College Hill – High school field and community center plus youth field in Winton Place
• 2010: Winton Place – Brandon Phillips Field and P&G Field