While fans were not permitted to watch the Reds in person this season, there is no doubt that Reds Country noticed thousands of occupied seats at Great American Ball Park.

Just after Opening Day, the Reds Community Fund (RCF) launched a fundraiser through which fans could submit a photo and have themselves positioned in the seats of GABP in the form of a cardboard cutout. It was an immediate hit in Cincinnati and became both a profitable initiative for a great cause and a fun way for fans to become a special part of an unprecedented season.

In total, the RCF raised over $325,000 that will continue to connect underserved children with baseball and softball. There were 4,595 cutouts processed, with orders coming from 47 states and five countries.

The cutouts featured individuals of all ages, backgrounds … and species. While most fans sent in a photo of themselves in Reds gear, there were plenty of unique cutouts scattered around the ballpark. Parents had cutouts made of their youngest Reds fans so they could “attend” their first game. There were even two sonograms submitted that were made into cutouts. Other fans sent in photos of themselves along with their late loved ones so they could enjoy one more game together. Additional cutouts included local frontline workers like police officers, firefighters and servicemen and servicewomen.

Pets were a popular choice, specifically dogs. In fact, man’s best friend had so many submissions that they received their own section. Essentially, every night at GABP this season was Bark in the Park. Other animals included cats, a horse, a bunny, a ferret and of course Cincinnati’s most beloved hippo, Fiona.

“The best part of all of it is that every cutout tells a story,” said Sara Ingram, sponsorship and events manager of the Reds Community Fund. “Each one is something special to the person that purchased it for a variety of reasons. Actual people might not be out there, but the players weren’t alone. They had 4,595 cutouts cheering them on every home game. This may have looked like just a fundraiser, but it was so much more than that.”

After the season, fans will have the opportunity to pick up or have their cardboard cutouts delivered for them to keep -- if they survived two months’ worth of weather and foul balls.

The Reds also created special cutouts that were featured during select homestands in conjunction with league and team initiatives. During MLB’s 100th anniversary celebration of the Negro Leagues in August, members of the Cincinnati Tigers, the city’s most prominent Negro Leagues team, occupied seats in the ballpark. They were joined by other impactful figures including Jackie Robinson, the first African American in the Major Leagues, and Chuck Harmon, the first black player to take the field for the Reds. On August 31, in recognition of National Overdose Awareness Day, the Reds teamed up with Mothers Against Prescription Drug Use and Emergent BioSolutions Inc. and dedicated a section of cutouts specifically to raise awareness for the issue. Earlier this month during Hispanic Heritage Weekend, the organization placed cutouts in the Lexus Diamond Club for all eight Hispanic players in the Reds Hall of Fame: Pedro Borbón, Leo Cardenas, David Concepción, César Gerónimo, Dolf Luque, Tony Pérez, José Rijo, Mario Soto.

If you’ve tuned in to watch the Reds throughout this season, there’s a good chance you noticed some of the Reds broadcasters scattered around the yard. You may also have seen longtime clubhouse manager Bernie Stowe and his wife, Priscilla, behind the Reds’ dugout -- an idea made possible by vice president of media relations Rob Butcher. He also purchased 12 cutouts of his family to sit alongside him in the auxiliary press box for each game, finally finding a way to honor their years of requesting that they get a press box seat to watch the Reds.

In addition, Butcher was instrumental in relaying the player requests once the team began noticing the cutouts populating the ballpark and wanted to participate. He talked about this with executive director of the Reds Community Fund Charley Frank at the beginning of September.

“We came home after the first road trip and the players said, ‘You know, I’m going to put my family out there,’” Butcher said. “Most of our players haven’t seen their families since July 1. Suárez was the most notable one. When we got home from the last road trip, he saw his wife and daughter in the family section and he walked up there and spent about a half hour showing them on Facetime, taking pictures and just spending time with them.”

The instance Butcher referred to was Aug. 28, when the Reds returned from a 10-day road trip. Suárez saw the cutouts of the family for the first time and after spending time with them during pregame, he proceeded to play his best game of the season. The third baseman went 3-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs in a 6-5 win over the Cubs.

“That was big time for me,” he said in his postgame interview on the field. “First time seeing my wife and my little one. I miss all my family, and to have a day like this one with my family there was the best.”

Clearly, the fan cutouts sparked an emotional component for both fans and players that no one could have anticipated.

“This initiative has been one of the silver linings of this season and possibly one of the most unexpected and remarkable fundraising stories in our history,” Frank said. “The proceeds will allow us to move forward with fall and winter programming and to keep our staff intact and engaged. The positive energy with each order sparked a season-long dialogue with our fans as well as a consistent amount of media coverage. The nostalgia and connection speak to the power of Reds baseball, which is an important reminder during such a challenging period.”