A nonprofit publication of the Kentucky Center for Public Service Journalism

Baseball superfan Dale Silver hits a homerun as this year’s president of Rosie Reds, promoting charities


By Vicki Prichard
NKyTribune reporter

Growing up, Dale Silver spent summers watching her father’s knothole baseball teams as they won one victory after the next.

With 16 consecutive City Champ victories, her father was inducted into the Delhi Hills Athletic Association and the Price Hill Athletic Association Hall of Fame.

Silver took to the field, too, playing softball all her life. As she got older, she played on a Wednesday night ladies league with her dad as their coach.

“It was hilariously different for him than coaching guys,” says Silver.

Dale Silver loves baseball

Dale Silver loves baseball

Suffice it to say, baseball has played a key role in Silver’s life. In the last 20 years she’s missed only one Cincinnati Reds opening day, and she attends about 25 home games a year. She’s traveled to 25 of the 30 ballparks around the country – so far.

This year, Silver, a lifelong baseball fan – and athlete in her own right – will serve as the president of Rosie Reds, a philanthropic social organization focused on supporting the Cincinnati Reds.

Rosie Reds – Rooters Organized to Stimulate Interest and Enthusiasm in the Cincinnati Reds — was formed in 1964, when there was a risk that Cincinnati would lose a National League Baseball franchise. Rumor had it that Red’s owner Bill Dewitt was considering moving the team’s franchise to another city due to dwindling attendance and little community interest in the sport.

Cincinnati Unlimited, a civic organization associated with the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce, organized the Committee of 40, which included prominent business leaders. Subcommittees soon formed and a women’s committee, which came up with a range of ideas to encourage women and families to attend games. Enthusiasm in the women’s committee grew and the Rosie Reds were born.

“My love for baseball continues to grow through the Rosie Reds,” says Silver, who became determined to increase awareness of the organization’s mission when she served as the organization’s vice president.

Photo provided by Dale Silver

Dale threw out the first pitch

“That was my first goal to ensure we got every bit of publicity for that during my tenure as vice president and now president,” says Silver. “I believe we’re starting to accomplish that.”

Two years ago, Silver chaired the organization’s 50th anniversary celebration at the Riverfront Club. More than 200 guests attended the event, including their mascot, Rosie, whom Silver says is a huge supporter of the Rosie Reds and attends every event they host. During the 50th anniversary, local network affiliates covered the event, allowing Silver to promote the philanthropic message to the community.

Today, the nine area colleges receive $3,000 each for their baseball programs and the Kid Glove Association receives $4,000 each year.

“We had increased that amount in 2014, and hope to add to these amounts whenever it becomes possible,” says Silver.

In addition to her role with the Rosie Reds, Silver is client services manager with C-Forward Information Technologies in Covington. She’s also active in the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, where she is an executive board member on the chamber’s board of directors and is vice chair.

Rosie Red

Rosie Red

Silver says the Cincinnati Reds are very supportive of the Rosie Reds, providing a number of opening day tickets to Rosie Reds members. She says the team tries to accommodate all requests throughout the year.

“We love our partnership as both organizations want to promote baseball in Cincinnati and encourage families to support our team,” says Silver.

The Reds Hall of Fame is a great partner as well, she says, giving all Rosie Reds members a discount to join the Hall of Fame. Silver says many Rosie Reds members volunteer to work at the Reds Hall of Fame.

Some of the organization’s original goals, she says, were to allow members to register online, engage marketing volunteers to design and update the website, automate printing, stuffing and mailing for the invites to the many events they host. They accomplished those goals in two years.

“In the next three years, I hope to accomplish two goals,” says Silver “We are working with the Reds to find a corporate partner to help promote and further our mission. Finding this partner is intricately tied to the next goal that is shared by the Rosie Red Board – to build a namesake Rosie Reds Ball Field, thru the Reds Community Fund.”

Silver says those are both huge goals that the Rosie Reds board is working diligently to make a reality in the near future.

Rosie Reds events are published on the organization’s website. They include Reds games, special lunches, Ohio River boat cruises, annual trips to baseball in other cities and a Reds cruise in the fall.

Dale with a few of her friends

Dale with a few of her friends

Many of the events, says Silver, are closed to the public so they encourage individuals to join the Rosie Reds until they reach their charter of 3,000 members,

“We are very close,” says Silver. “We offer memberships to women, men and children. All events are fundraisers to support our colleges and Kid Glove.”

The Rosie Reds have 21 volunteer trustees and seven executive board members. They have no paid staff.

Silver says the board is “wonderful” to work with and collaborative in coming up with ways to offer the best benefits to members.

“I know I love the mission of the Rosie Reds, as do all our volunteer members. We couldn’t accomplish half of what we do with them,” says Silver.

To learn more about the Rosie Reds, visit www.rosiereds.com, or contact Dale Silver at rosiereds@reds.com.


Related Posts

Leave a Comment