Nine to Drive

Joe Burrow may have struggled on the field last weekend, but the Joe Burrow Foundation found success with the inaugural Dine for 9.

To kick-off the fundraiser, Robin and Jimmy Burrow, who along with being the parents of QB1 also run the foundation, made a road trip! Take a look at a few stops along the way at participating restaurants in Athens and Cincinnati.

More than 250 restaurants in the Tristate donated 9 percent of their profits on Sept. 9 to the foundation. Diners were also able to donate directly at JoeBurrow.org.

In the Bag

Mina Harigae took time to meet with fans during the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G and talk about, what else, golf.

Harigae plays PXG clubs and shared her insights about the difference using the right gear makes for her.

Even if you can’t play like Harigae, you can look the part. PXG has unveiled its latest apparel and accessories for the fall and winter seasons. This drop feature must-have classic and new silhouettes that offer technical innovations and thoughtful details for enhanced performance on and off the golf course.

This seasonably smart collection elevates classic golf-wear, and introduces layering essentials and innovative, lightweight, easy to pack outerwear. PXG’s classic black, white, and gray colorways anchor monotone, color block, and printed styles, while military green, blue, and purple hues add variety and depth to the series.

Learn more about the new collection at PXG Stores and www.pxg.com/apparel.

Defying Gravity

Those daring young men (and women) in their flying machine, took to the skies, and the water, during Saturday’s Red Bull Flugtag.

One of the teams, Cincinnati Fear, made a valiant effort off the launch ramp before a stunning nose-dive into the Ohio that made its way into Red Bull’s highlight reel of the event. Their flying machine, created by MSA Design, still took the pilot on flight of almost 40 feet!

Over 30 teams made the leap, with judges Jessica Dimon, Nick Goepper, Chad Johnson, Chloe Pavlech, and Cale Saurage scoring participants on the showmanship of their pre-flight dance performances as well as their final descents. Nearly 30,000 people watched the proceedings from the Serpentine Wall and nearby bridges for Flugtag’s only U.S. stop of the year.

The final results were

• First Place: Flite Test (Minerva, Ohio)

• Second Place: Living Lost Land and Waters (East Moline, IL)

• Third Place: The Neanderthals (Phoenix, AZ)

• People’s Choice, presented by T-Mobile: Thunderdome (Cincinnati, OH)

• Longest Flight, presented by CVG International Airport: The Smoke Eaters (Ripon, WI) with a distance of 54 feet

A Seat at the Table

Joe Burrow has been tackling food insecurity since his 2019 Heisman Trophy speech. The Bengals quarterback launched his foundation last year with a focus on finding ways to offer support to communities in Ohio and Louisiana.

This summer the Joe Burrow Foundation teamed up with MyWhy Cincinnati and Kroger to provide fresh fruit to more than 7,500 local students at nearly 40 area schools in Cincinnati Public Schools, CISE and Charter districts.

Interested in supporting the Joe Burrow Foundation? Visit joeburrow.org.

Plugged In

After successes in Cincinnati in 2022 and 2023, Black Tech Week is now off to Detroit, for Black Tech Weekend – a spinoff of the main conference. The abbreviated conference in October will once again bring together founders, innovators and creatives of color to experience the Black Tech experience.

BTW always looking for sponsors to drive next year’s event, which will once again return to OTR. If interested, visit www.blacktechweek.com/sponsors.

Connecting tech entrepreneurs, investors and professionals, Black Tech Week returned to Cincinnati July 18–20, 2023. In its second year in the Queen City, the event attracted more than 3,000 participants, who learned from a who’s who of panelists, speakers and experts about technology, innovation and business.

Participants heard from more than 100 speakers in 50 workshops across the three-day event.  Just as important as the business of the conference was the social component of Black Tech Week (BTW), which hosted events in Over-The-Rhine throughout the week, extending networking hours and connections.

During Black Tech Week, The Bell Charitable Foundation announced a $1 million commitment to create digital equity in the communities it serves over the next five years through a series of focused grants to organizations that are expanding access to broadband Internet.

“Broadband Internet is essential in order for individuals across all demographics to access education, employment, and healthcare opportunities,” said Christi Cornette, Chief Administrative Officer of altafiber and a Bell Charitable Foundation board member. “Creating digital equity is a natural focus area for the Bell Charitable Foundation, and will benefit our current and future partner organizations and those they serve.”

altafiber, which formerly did business as Cincinnati Bell in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana, has invested more than $2 billion into expanding its fiber network across the Greater Cincinnati region and Dayton, as well as Hawaii, where the company does business as Hawaiian Telcom. altafiber’s network delivers gigabit Internet connectivity to residential and business customers across its operating areas.

“Through a commitment to digital equity, altafiber enables all people to access the connectivity that is so important to our mental wellness,” said Nancy Eigel-Miller, founder of 1N5. “Whether it is through the accessibility of online tools to find a provider or resources, virtual training opportunities, or simply the ability to stay connected with friends, family, and mentors, increased connectivity in our communities will help 1N5 to impact the mental health of even more individuals across Greater Cincinnati and beyond.”

The keynote conversation with actress, writer, and producer Issa Rae was the highlight of the week, delighting a capacity crowd with her candid conversation with Black Tech Week host and organizer Candice Brackeen.

See interviews with speakers and presenters!

Black Tech Week was an integral part of Cincinnati’s largest tourism weekend of the year. The event was hosted alongside the annual Cincinnati Music Festival, presented by P&G, which thrust Cincinnati into the national spotlight celebrating Black music, culture, media, and business. According to Visit Cincy, hotels reached an average of 81% occupancy rate over the weekend.

Blue Christmas

If you didn’t think the countdown to the holidays was already on, we’ve got some news for you!

Your favorite place for summer fun just wrapped up a Christmas in July celebration. As part of the fun, Coney Island held a Toys for Tots drive.

Guests to Coney Island were encouraged to bring any new or gently used toys. The U.S. Marines raised a total of $756.77 during Coney Island’s inaugural Christmas in July celebration.  

“We were honored to host the U.S. Marine Toys for Tots fundraising event during our Christmas in July celebration,” said Tricia Mullin, a spokesperson with Coney Island. “We’re happy to support such a worthy cause at Coney Island’s Nights of Lights each year, and we thank the U.S. Marines who volunteered for the event, as well as our season passholders and guests for their generosity in delivering hope to less fortunate children.”

Santa even stopped by before he had to head back to the North Pole, since Christmas is less than five months away!

Testing the Waters

USRowing Summer National Championships

The competition schedule (men’s and women’s):

• Thursday, July 13: Time trials for U17 and Youth, Semi Finals in afternoon

• Friday, July 14: Semi-Finals in morning for U17 and youth, Grand Finals in afternoon

• Saturday, July 15: Time Trials in morning for U23 and Open, Semi-finals in afternoon

• Sunday, July 16: Semi-finals in morning for U23 and Open and Grand Finals in afternoon

Races start at 7:30 a.m.–8 a.m. each day.

For more information, visit www.discoverclermont.com.

The 2023 USRowing Summer National Championships will return to Harsha Lake at East Fork Lake State Park in Bethel, Ohio from July 13–16. 

Hosted by the Clermont County Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Championships will be a four- day regatta and will determine National Champions in the U16, U17, Youth, U23, and Open categories.

“We are happy to have the USRowing Summer National Championships return to Clermont County this year,” said Jeff Blom, president of the Clermont County Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Our community really supports the event and the athletes, and we expect this year’s Championships to bring in approximately $2 million in economic impact to Clermont County and the Cincinnati region.” 

The event is free and open for the general public to attend to enjoy a day of rowing competition on the lake with free parking.  

To date, more than 1,400 athletes from 71 rowing clubs across 20 states, District of Columbia and Canada are represented in this year’s field.

One local Cincinnati athlete to root for is Chris Bak. He won the gold medal in the men’s solo event at the 2022 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals (as well as the bronze medal in the mixed quadruple sculls with coxswain) and has qualified for the 2023 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals this year (in both those events) as well. Chris will be racing in the Open Single and Open Double at summer nationals.

“We look forward to bringing the USRowing Summer National Championships back to Clermont County's Harsha Lake,” said USRowing CEO Amanda Kraus. “Harsha has a long history of hosting top national rowing events, and we look forward to working with the Clermont County Convention and Visitors Bureau to provide our athletes, coaches, and fans with an outstanding experience.”

All Too Well

Though “Welcome to the Jungle” is the most familiar song at Paycor Stadium, that doesn’t mean the Bengals aren’t up on current music.

If QB Joe Burrow makes good on his idea to try to catch the sold-out shows at Paycor Stadium, it would be the greatest quarterback sneak of all time. Though Burrow claims he’s not a Swiftie, what about the rest of the team?

Check out a few of the players’ favorite T. Swift tunes. Even though one pick is 100% not right, we have to admit, it IS a banger, too.

@bengals Replying to @siara ♬ original sound - Cincinnati Bengals

Works Like a Charm

Who better to bring a sense of glamour and excitement to Cincinnati event spaces than Jeff Ruby.

The Lempicka by Jeff Ruby combines fine dining and art deco in the heart of downtown’s arts district

Named after Tamara de Lempicka, one of the foremost artists of the Art Deco movement, Jeff Ruby Culinary Entertainment has transformed the first Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse into a stunning new private event venue.

The Lempicka by Jeff Ruby
700 Walnut St.
(513) 246-3100
www.jeffruby.com/the-lempicka-event-center

The Lempicka provides a luxurious backdrop for weddings, corporate and social events, fundraisers and other celebrations for groups from 25-250 people. Buffet options start at $60 per person and plated menu options start at $95 per person.

Ruby has long admired the work of de Lempicka, who is often mentioned in the same sentence as Georgia O’Keefe, Frida Kahlo and Louise Bourgeois and is considered one of the most famous female artists of our time. He has drawn inspiration from the artist in the signature murals that adorn each of his steakhouses. At the grand opening, Ruby introduced his great granddaughter, Marisa de Lempicka, who shared stories about her great grandmother who was nicknamed “The Baroness with a Brush.”

This week, The Lempicka by Jeff Ruby opened on Walnut Street across from the Aronoff Center for the Performing Arts. The new event venue will offer a culinary experience with chef-driven menus from breakfast, brunch along with plated and buffet dinners. Buffet options start at $60 per person and plated menu options start at $95 per person.

“The Lempicka is going to stand out because of the quality ingredients that will be used, the way those ingredients are prepared, respected, and the passion of the culinary staff,” said Executive Chef Luke Anzano. “There is nowhere in Cincinnati that offers our scale of fine dining plated meals for large events.”

Crowning Achievement

Winner, Winner, steak dinner!

With a win at the Belmont, Jeff Ruby has won the Triple Crown for the second time.

Javier Castellano won aboard Arcangelo in the Belmont Stakes. Castellano also won the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby aboard Mage and has been sponsored by Jeff Ruby for five years. Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez rode National Treasure to a Preakness Stakes win.

The winners of each of 2023 Triple Crown races was a Jeff Ruby-sponsored jockey.

Jeff Ruby Culinary Entertainment sponsored six of the nine jockeys in the 155th edition of New York’s Belmont Stakes. In addition to Castellano, the jockeys included Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard Forte, who finished in second place, along with John Velazquez, Jose Ortiz, Manny Franco and Flavien Pratt.

Jeff Ruby has built meaningful relationships with these jockeys that go back several years and is overjoyed for them and their triumphant efforts during the Triple Crown racing season.

Ruby has been a long-time sponsor of the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (www.PDJF.com), which supports jockeys who have sustained serious injuries. Because of this support, several active jockeys offered to wear the Jeff Ruby brand during the Triple Crown races: Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes.

Play Well, Do Good

“Everybody has a responsibility to do good.” is the cornerstone of the Joe Burrow Foundation.

With the Inaugural Joe Burrow Foundation Golf Invitational played on June 5, sold-out field of golfers and celebrities raised $924,250 for the organization at Coldstream Country Club.

Photos: Shae Combs

Celebrities who participated in the golf tournament included Cincinnati Bengals Head Coach Zac Taylor, along with Bengals coaches and staff: Brian Callahan, Darrin Simmons, Dan Pitcher, Brad Kragthorpe, Lou Anarumo, Doug Rosfeld and Sam Francis.

Do Good

Want to contribute? The Joe Burrow Foundation has partnered with Ohio-based Where I’m From Apparel to sell Cincinnati and Baton Rouge-inspired “Do Good” apparel options.

Where I’m From Apparel will donate 100% of proceeds of the sale of “Do Good” apparel to the Joe Burrow Foundation, which launched in October 2022 to help meet the needs of families who are working to overcome food insecurity and childhood mental health issues in Ohio and Louisiana.

Purchase “Do Good” shirts!

Also joining for the golf tournament were LSU Head Coach Brian Kelly, ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit, NFL Hall of Famer Anthony Muñoz, Bengals Legends Kenny Anderson, Jim Breech and David Fulcher, Bengals Broadcasters Dan Hoard and Dave Lapham, Hall of Fame Broadcaster Marty Brennaman, and Cincinnati Reds Legend George Foster.

The Joe Burrow Foundation Golf Invitational was presented by Gravity Diagnostics, Encore Technologies and Jeff Ruby Culinary Entertainment, and was hosted by Jimmy and Robin Burrow, the parents of Joe. 

The event committee led by Amy Floyd, executive director of the Joe Burrow Foundation, included: Chrissie Blatt, Briana Warm, Maggie Luggen, Amy Craft, Mikayla Pittman and Andi Sempier.

At the post-party celebration, nearly $500,000 was raised from the live and silent auction hosted by Cincinnati native Bill Hemmer and FOX News anchor. In attendance from the Cincinnati Bengals team were Joe Mixon, Orlando Brown Jr., Ted Karras and Sam Hubbard.

The Great Escape

Have you ever wanted a height advantage in an escape room? Thinking a little extra muscle might help you break out faster?

Now imaging Bengals’ defensive end Sam Hubbard is on your team.

The Hubbard took on the challenge of the Escape Game at The Banks on Monday, for a good cause.

As a fundraiser for the Sam Hubbard Foundation, Hubbard raffled off a day of experiences, which included a tour of Paycor Stadium, lunch, and an Escape Game challenge.

The winner of the raffle, Bailee Kelch, a native of Celina and a recent graduate of Purdue University, met Hubbard and received a number of autographed items from the Bengals’ defensive end, along with the stadium tour and the escape room experience.

Hubbard and other Walter Payton Man of the Year nominees participated in the online raffle. Hubbard’s “Rally with Sam Hubbard” was the top fundraiser of all the raffles, bringing in $81,000 for the Sam Hubbard Foundation for equitable access to food, education and a healthy lifestyle for all Cincinnatians.  

The Long and Snort of It

The Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon presented by P&G and Prysmian Group marked its 25th anniversary this weekend with Jason Salyer of Tipp City, Ohio, winning the men’s division of the full marathon and Caitlin Keen of Fort Worth, Texas, claiming a third Flying Pig Marathon win. 

The 32-year-old Salyer, who took first place in the Mercy Health Glass City Marathon on April 23, won the Flying Pig in a time of 2:27:10. Second was Will Cadwell, 25, of Covington in 2:27:28, and third was 2017 and 2019 Flying Pig Marathon winner Jack Randall, 28, of Cincinnati, in 2:28:13. Cadwell also came in second in the full marathon last year.

“It’s unheard of to come back (after Glass City) and try another competitive marathon, let alone win it,” Salyer told reporters. “Will Cadwell gave me a real run for my money. I respect that guy. He had a big gap on me, and I didn’t catch him until around mile 19.” 

Keen, 30, who led the female division from the start, took the women’s crown in a time of 2:45:34. Second among females was Katie Hallahan, 29, of Cincinnati in 2:59:08 and third was Lauren Mullins, 29, of Chattanooga, Tennessee in 3:00:00

Keen becomes the first female Flying Pig champion to win the full marathon three times. She won the 2021 Flying Pig Marathon in a time of 2:43:44 and the 2018 Marathon in 2:46:39. She also won the Paycor Half Marathon in 2022 in 1:21:08. 

“I may be the first to win it three times but I will not be the last. “I want little girls to see this and know they can do anything they want.”

— Caitlin Keen

In the Paycor Half Marathon, Seth Elking of Miamisburg, Ohio, won in a time of 1:10:56, second was Eric Gruenbacher of Loveland, Ohio, in 1:11:09, and third was Chris Porst of Chicago, in 1:11:18. In the women’s division of the Paycor Half Marathon, Aimee Piercy of Cincinnati won in 1:24:43. Second was Julia Manzano of Cincinnati in 1:25:00, and Amy Manning of Cincinnati in 1:26:56. 

 The 25th anniversary of the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon weekend presented by P&G and Prysmian Group kicked off with local runners winning top honors at Friday night’s Fifty West Mile one mile elite division. 

Jackson Siddall, 23, of Lebanon, Ohio, won the “dash for cash” in a time of 4:16:9. In a virtual tie at the finish was Andrew Taylor, 23, of Hilliard, Ohio, in second, and 26-year-old Michael Hall of Cincinnati, both in a time of 4:17:4. 

In the women’s elite division of the mile, Katarina Smiljanec 29, of Covington, Kentucky, won in 4:58:9. In second was Brooke Wildermuth, 30, of Cincinnati in 5:00.9 and third was Kaylin Russeau, 32, of Dundee, Michigan, in 5:01.6.

In Saturday’s opening event, the sold-out Toyota 10K, Kyle Klingler, 29, of Cincinnati, won in a time of 33:16. Second was 31-year-old Luke Ogden of Oxford, Ohio in 33:37 and third was Sean Kane, 26, of Cincinnati in 33:50. In the women’s division, Olivia Anger, 25, of Apple Valley, Minnesota, won in 35:55. Second was Laura Pahren, 31, of Mason, Ohio is 38:00 and third was Sydney Larkin, 25, of Cincinnati in 38:23. 

In the first-ever event within the Toyota 10K, the wheelchair hand cycle division, Yoshinori Tomoyasu, 49, from Oxford, Ohio, won in 36:16. Second in the division was Eric Boltz, 56, of Loveland, Ohio, in 36:33 and third was Jeffrey Daniel, 61, of Cincinnati in 38:11. Top female in the wheelchair hand cycle was Jennifer Hogan, 39, of Loveland in 38:56, second was Abby Marsh, 46, of Union, KY in 51:35 and third was Victoria Maring, 28, of Maineville, Ohio in 1:11:13. 

In the Champion Windows 5K, also a sellout, Christian Leach, 21, of Monroe, Ohio, won in 16:30:9. Second was Zachary Hayden, 14, of Mason, Ohio, in 16:33.9 and third was Luke Ogden, 31, of Cincinnati in 16:40.7. In the women’s division, Brooke Wildermuth, 30, of New York won in 16:47. Second was Sarah Clark, 27, of Cincinnati, in 18:24.8 and third was Bukola Pereira, 27, in 18:48.3. 

In the day’s other timed event, Adam Gloyeske, a former Flying Pig Marathon winner, won the Flying Fur two-mile run in 10:59. Also held Saturday was the Cincinnati Children’s 26th mile, the PigAbilities event and the First Watch Flying Piglet. 

The 26th running of the Flying Pig Marathon weekend will be held May 3-5, 2024!

Too Pig To Fail

An economic impact study produced in 2018 by Xavier University showed that runners generate more than $12 million economic impact in Greater Cincinnati. That includes spending by out of town participants, local participants and their guests and families who come to town to cheer them on. The number includes more than $1.3 million spent for lodging and $1.2 million spent at restaurants, bars, entertainment venues and at the marathon Expo.

Participants and their families also spent more than a quarter million dollars over the weekend at department stores and other retail outlets.

Everyone knows the marathon is 26.2 miles, but there are other number equally important to the runners – What to eat and drink after the race.

Raisins/Craisins: 28

Fluid stations: 34

Bacon, in pounds: 150

Marshmallows: 649

Fig bars: 1,000

Peppermint patties 1,400

Gummy worms: 1,880

Graham crackers: 2,000

Gatorade: 2,280

Ice, in pounds: 4,000

Cheese crackers: 4,110

Jelly beans: 4,470

Chocolate candies: 4,700

Food donated to local food pantries: 5,960

Licorice twists: 7,182

Orange slice candy: 7,470

Potato chips: 8,640

Swedish Fish: 9,450

Cookies: 9,500

Orange slices: 9,680

Electrolyte drink: 11,472

Energy gel packets: 12,000

Pretzel sticks: 14,112

Bananas :22,000

Crackers: 22,500

Bags of chips: 40,000

Trail mix: 41,000

Kroger water bottles: 55,000

Fluid station cup: 600,000

Waste Not Want Not

Electronic Waste Recycling Event
Thursday, April 27–Sunday, April 30 

The recycling event is at all altafiber store location – store hours vary, check website for details.

Earth Day may be over, but it’s always a good day to take care of the planet.

According to ERI, the largest fully integrated IT and electronics asset disposition provider and cybersecurity-focused hardware destruction company in the United States, less than 15% of e-waste is recycled in the US.

If you have a box full of old or broken electronics you need to get rid of, altafiber wants to help. You can recycle your e-waste for free during altafiber’s Electronic Waste Recycling Event at its stores in Greater Cincinnati and Dayton, and the items will be properly disposed of or recycled.

Recyclables include phones, laptops, cameras, cords, headphone, and tablets. altafiber will accept all electronics under 40 pounds except for televisions, batteries, appliances and hazardous waste.

Anyone who brings electronics will get a coupon for 10% new store purchases. The event is part of the company’s Earth Month celebration.

Aged to Perfection

Jeff Ruby celebrated his 75th birthday at the Jeff Ruby Steakhouse, downtown Cincinnati, last evening with a star-studded guest list including a surprise appearance by Food Network chef and host Guy Fieri, actor Emilio Estevez, The Blues Brothers from the popular Las Vegas Show, Hall of Fame Broadcaster Marty Brenneman, NFL Commentator Cris Collinsworth, and singer Lee Greenwood, who led the singing of “Happy Birthday” to Ruby.

Britney Ruby Miller, CEO of Jeff Ruby Culinary Entertainment.

Chef Nick Ellison serves steaks for Jeff Ruby's 75 birthday dinner.

Dillon, Jeff Britney, Brandon Ruby.

Guy Fieri and Jeff Ruby.

Jeff Ruby and his staff.

Jeff Ruby sings with the Blues Brothers from the Las Vegas show.

Frame of Mind

Butterflies, paintbrushes, and musical instruments can all be found in the 2023 Summerfair poster, created by local artist Danny Caro.

The poster was unveiled last Thursday at HighGrain Brewery, which has created a new beer featuring the poster's artwork on its label.

The beer is available on tap at HighGrain, 6860 Plainfield Road and select Kroger stores in the region. This year, you can buy tickets to Summerfair directly from the can via a QR code.

Jayne Utter, Summerfair’s managing director, with 2023 poster artist Danny Caro.

Photo by Shae Combs.

Photo by Shae Combs.

Photo by Shae Combs.

Photo by Shae Combs.

The poster will be available at Summerfair 2023, held at Coney Island from Friday, June 2 through Sunday, June 4. Tickets to Summerfair are $10 (cash only at the gate), with children 12 and under admitted free. Advance one-day or multi-day tickets are $15 and available online at summerfair.org.

Proceeds from Summerfair Cincinnati provide award, scholarship and exhibit opportunities to a variety of emerging (high school and college), individual (working professional) artists and local/regional small and mid-sized arts organizations throughout the year. 

Pig Winners

The Flying Pig Community Scholars Program announced  the 2023 scholarship program award recipients. The scholarship program, an expansion of Pig Works existing youth initiatives, provides scholarships to graduating high school seniors in the Cincinnati Tri-State area who have demonstrated a commitment to community service and running.

The 2023 Flying Pig Community Scholars Program recipients are

• Keene “Aiden” Bryant, Goshen High School

• Lavinia Gryzymajlo, Summit Country Day

• Ben Johnson, Elder High School

• Liam Lakhia, Summit Country Day

• Grace McKay, Mason High School

• Brooklyn Pickers, Madonna Villa Academy

• Madison Rahschulte, Batesville High School

• Isaac Schachleiter, Mason High School

• Kate Stiens, Walnut Hills High School

• Bennett Turan, Mariemont High School

“The selection committee was impressed with the quality of the applications and the dedication of the applicants to community service. We encourage all students to continue to pursue their passions and to make a positive impact in their communities,” said Iris Simpson Bush, president and CEO of Pig Works.

Since its inception in 2018, the Flying Pig Community Scholars Program has awarded more than $100,000 in scholarships to deserving students in the community. This year, the program has expanded from four winners to ten winners (five female and five male). Each winner receives a $5,000 scholarship toward post-secondary education. 

The Community Scholars program is generously funded by the Coughlin Family, by sponsorship from Skyline Chili, and through donations to the Community Scholars program. These contributions allow the program to recognize and reward the hard work and dedication of students who have made a positive impact on our local community.

These ten students will be honored at the annual Community Scholars Breakfast event on April 19, 7:30 a.m. at Music Hall, where they will be recognized for their accomplishments and will have the opportunity to hear Olympian Mary Wineberg share her inspirational story. Tickets are still available for those interested in attending: https://raceroster.com/events/2023/73775/2023-flying-pig-community-scholars-breakfast.

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For those interested in supporting the Flying Pig Community Scholars Program or attending future events, visit website at https://flyingpigmarathon.com/get-involved/high-school-scholarship. 

Change is good

Adaptive Pickleball

Programs begin May 17, 6:30 p.m.
Withrow Pickleball Court
2488 Madison Road

Registration is now open!

Cincinnati Tennis Foundation announced the formation of its first-ever Adaptive Pickleball programs funded by a major donation from Larry Blundred, the founder of Ollie Otter Enterprises.

Pickleball, a mix of tennis and ping-pong, is the fastest-growing sport in America, and adaptive pickleball is a program for people with physical, cognitive, and developmental challenges, according to Matt Dektas, executive director of the Cincinnati Tennis Foundation.

“The new program is one of the first in America and will create a safe and active program for our community thanks to the generous donation from Larry Blundred,” Dektas said.

Blundred is the founder of Ollie Otter Enterprises, a pickleball focused company, which includes music videos and two popular children’s books: “How Pickleball Saved Ollie Otter,” published by Blundred in 2020 and “Ollie and His Pickleball Friends Return Home: The Story Continues…” published in 2022. Both books use the game of pickleball and animal characters such as Ollie Otter, Robby Raccoon, Wally Wallaby and Pauly Penguin to encourage compassion for differences among all people, young and old, who find community, fun and purpose through the game of pickleball.

A member of the Cincinnati Pickleball and Sawyer Point Pickleball Clubs, Blundred is a retired financial advisor and a former marketing executive in Cincinnati.

Blundred’s contribution to the Cincinnati Tennis Foundation will also provide annual scholarships and additional programming support.

Since 2015, Cincinnati Tennis Foundation has offered opportunities to thousands of students and players across parks, schools, youth centers, and clubs across Cincinnati and its urban core. 

Joy Ride

You’ve seen them zipping around downtown and you’ve probably ridden in one a time or two.

Now GEST (Green Easy Safe Transportation), founded by Patrick and Lauren Dye in 2018, is ready to drive into even more markets.

Providing free, environmentally friendly micro-transit and mobile advertising services to communities throughout the United States, GEST has named its first board member, Mike Murray. Murray brings more than 30 years of transportation and business experience having held a variety of senior executive positions in the industry, including CEO at FirstGroup America, North America’s largest ground passenger transportation company.  

“GEST looks forward to collaboration with Mike as the company continues to grow its portfolio of services to include: last-mile, point to point, entertainment districts and event service,” said Patrick Dye. “We started GEST with five carts in 2018 and how have more than 40 vehicles in nine locations with an aggressive growth plan over the next three years. Our door is open to new franchise partners.”

The free, low speed vehicle service for guests to hail, just like a taxi cab, has expanded to nine U.S. locations, including Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Las Vegas (Downtown and The Strip), and Louisville, over the last two years with future expansion plans in the works.

GEST began offering franchises in 2021, and has doubled its revenue over the last year. All franchises are currently female and/or minority owned. GEST delivers its services using a 100% electric fleet as well as the company’s proprietary digital hailing app. 

Over the last two years, GEST has also been tapped to service major events including: an activation with Old Spice at the Super Bowl in Los Angeles and the Cincinnati Music Festival, and for guest transportation at the Waste Management golf tournament in Phoenix. 

“GEST is a micro transportation company for people, a mobile advertising company and a tech company,” said Murray. “It’s an exciting time for GEST and I look forward to working with the team on the company’s expansion efforts over the next few years.”