Friday, Sept. 2, was Childhood Cancer Awareness Day across Major League Baseball, and as one of the 15 teams hosting a game that day, the Reds were active participants in raising awareness for the important cause.

Each September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and this season marked the seventh consecutive year that MLB and its clubs held league-wide awareness initiatives in home ballparks on a designated day. MLB, in collaboration with Stand Up To Cancer, combined visual and ceremonial demonstrations of support, including outreach to local hospitals treating young patients.

In Cincinnati, Reds pitcher Lucas Sims and catcher Tyler Stephenson visited Cincinnati Children's Hospital's Seacrest Studios early Friday afternoon. The two players met with patients and their families, played games in the TV studio, and participated in interviews that were broadcast to all the patient rooms throughout the hospital. And as an extension of MLB’s partnership with the Starlight Children’s Foundation, the Reds were one of 15 ballclubs selected to receive two Starlight Nintendo Switch handheld gaming consoles, which were donated to Children’s.

Later that evening, before the Reds played the Colorado Rockies, representatives from the Dragonfly Foundation threw out a ceremonial first pitch and delivered the game ball as part of pregame ceremonies. The Dragonfly Foundation is a local nonprofit that was created to meet the needs of families dealing with life-threatening and potentially life-threatening cancer diagnoses. Before and during the game, Reds players and on-field personnel wore gold ribbons and wristbands to show their support for the cause.

Awareness efforts around childhood cancer remain as crucial as ever. By the end of 2022, it is estimated that over 10,000 children under the age of 15 will be diagnosed with cancer in the United States alone -- and over 300,000 globally. The Cincinnati Reds and MLB are committed to using their resources to help in the fight against this terrible disease that affects so many throughout our nation and around the world.