Something fun that the Lottery has been affiliated with for the past few years is sponsoring the Ohio Cup, a trophy that goes to the winner of the season series between the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Indians. It has helped create interest among some Lottery personnel who weren’t baseball fans before, and for those of us like me, baseball lifers, it’s excellent that the Lottery gives out this cool trophy but we’d be watching anyway.
The Lottery participates in all kinds of sponsorships and we partner with the major sports teams all
- Our cool trophy
over the state. These are particularly good events at which to highlight our Partners in Education program, which honors Academic All Stars and Teachers of the Month. The honorees get tickets to one of these sports events (or another kind of community event) and public recognition on the field (or court, or ice, as it were) and they get to wave to all their friends and family while being shown on the jumbo scoreboards. That’s pretty neat, especially for the younger honorees, and truth be told, I bet even the Teachers of the Month and the high schoolers get pretty worked up about that too, even if they won’t readily admit it. Last weekend, Director Burke and I made an appearance at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati as part of our Ohio Cup activities. Our Academic All-Star, a fine young man named Clinton Krakowiak, was also on hand on the field for pre-game ceremonies. As part of being recognized as the Lottery’s Academic All Star, Clinton got to deliver the game ball and rosin bag to the pitcher’s mound, which he thought was extra-cool. And he got to pose with Rosie Red, Director Burke and the Indians mascot Slider.
Clinton & Dir. Burke make friends
As part of the evening’s festivities, Director Burke made an appearance on the Reds Radio Network with announcers Jim Kelch and former major league pitcher Jeff Brantley. She was delighted with her excellent view of the game, and Brantley was a little surprised and pleased when she called him “The Cowboy,” a moniker by which he has been known in his broadcast days. He was even more surprised and pleased when she mentioned that she knew he was a former Fireman of the Year award winner.
Director Burke with Jeff Brantley and Jim Kelch
The Ohio Cup will stay with the Cincinnati Reds for another year by virtue of their winning the season series, 4-2. And the Ohio Lottery celebrates Clinton and all the Academic All Stars and Teachers of the Month who have been recognized this year for their academic achievements. That’s what we’re all about and we’re happy to tell anybody who will listen … on the radio or otherwise.
Great work, Clinton. Hope you had fun at the game.
