The Reds celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month with a full day’s worth of Fiesta Rojos festivities on Friday.

Early in the day, more than 75 students from the Academy of Multilingual Immersion Studies, Roberts Academy and the Academy of World Languages visited the P&G MLB Cincinnati Reds Youth Academy and participated in their own Fiesta Rojos presented by La Herencia. The morning began with a Q&A session facilitated by Reds Spanish translator and media relations assistant Jorge Merlos. The students had the opportunity to ask questions to 2021 RBI World Series participant Omar Morillo and his father and coach in the Reds' organization, Cesar Morillo.

“It’s great to have them see players and other people that speak their language and play baseball,” Merlos said. “That’s the point of this event ... to make sure they know that they have other people they can look up to, especially in Cincinnati.”

After the Q&A, the kids broke off into groups and learned various baseball skills at different stations during a Play Ball clinic and received an introductory lesson to salsa dancing. La Mega provided music for the day’s activities and the kids’ first field trip in nearly two years concluded with a lunch courtesy of Hot Head Burrito and La Herencia.

At the ballpark, the Reds held their annual Hispanic Community Night with Fiesta Rojos presented by Toyota. Activities included live music in the First Star Fan Zone, pregame ceremonies and in-game activation. Cincinnati players and coaches wore special Los Rojos jerseys for the game against the Nationals. Guests from the “Amigos de los Rojos” program, sponsored by Reds players Luis Castillo, Michael Feliz and Eugenio Suárez, attended the game.

Many of the ceremonies featured members of Cincinnati’s Hispanic community, including a live band and DJ, honor guard with flags from Latin countries, the national anthem singer, the Hometown Hero and the Kroger First Responder of the Game. Julia Figueroa-Gardner, executive director of Casa de Paz, a transitional program focused on Latina women experiencing domestic violence, was presented the Reds Hispanic Community Night Community Advocate Award presented by TriHealth. In addition, Reds players of Latin descent took part in an on-field ceremony during which they held their native country’s flag and received certificates of recognition from the Commission on Hispanic & Latino Affairs for the State of Ohio.

Another pregame ceremony tied into Major League Baseball’s annual Roberto Clemente Day, which was celebrated on Sept. 15 and honors one of baseball’s greatest players and humanitarians. With the Reds playing a road game that date, they instead recognized the Puerto Rican-born Clemente on the Friday as part of Fiesta Rojos. The first 15,000 fans were given a commemorative baseball card of the Hall of Famer.

Additionally, Joey Votto was honored as Cincinnati's nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, presented annually by MLB to a player who best exemplifies the spirit of the Pirates’ legendary outfielder with his play on the field and service in the community. As part of the award recognition, Votto accepted a $7,500 donation that will go to the Freestore Foodbank.