Making a difference: one ticket at a time.
That’s been the goal of Most Valuable Kids since its inception in 2005. The Cincinnati nonprofit takes tickets, experiences and opportunities and turns them into life-changing rewards for deserving kids and their families.
“Sometimes it just is a fun field trip; but, many times, it is much more,” said Sherri Friedman, CEO of MVK. “As we say, it is more than a ticket.”
Friedman and her husband Tedd started Cincinnati’s chapter of MVK in October of 2005 after a college friend created Most Valuable Kids in Washington, D.C. The Friedmans leaned into their love of sports and cultural events and their web of Cincinnati contacts, and started building. They credit the community and board members and early supporters like Johnny Bench and Tom Jackson, Jack Louiso and the Cincinnati Bengals, who helped open doors for their success.
Most Valuable Kids is always looking for in-kind and financial donations. For more information, go to www.mostvaluablekids.org/cincinnati.
But their focus has always been the kids. “It started - and remains - a labor of love to the kids in our community,” Friedman said.
MVK works with more than 85 child-focused charities, and the majority of Cincinnati sports and cultural venues to turn donated tickets into opportunities. MVK opens the doors to these experiences, providing students not just access to the game, show or event - but the opportunity to see and do something outside their neighborhood - and their comfort zone. Event extras such as snack packs, food vouchers, team swag and on-field opportunities and/or player and coach meet-and-greets are sometimes included, making each experience a day to remember.
It’s what each ticket represents that drives Friedman and MVK. A day at the ballet that might spark interest in the arts. A night at the ballpark that creates a childhood memory. And those memories in some cases, are indelible.
“We were just tagged in a post by a mentor who attended his mentee’s recent wedding,” Friedman said. “He was recalling all of the memories they had created together over the years, from Reds to Bengals games and other outings, many which were provided by MVK. We loved seeing them together as their photo still adorns a wall in our office. We feel incredibly honored to have played a small part of their story.”
That’s not the first time MVK has heard about the impact its mission has had on the community. One ticket recipient said that the opportunity he received from MVK in middle school made him feel like he was “worth something” and “was important.” Several years later, he graduated as valedictorian of his class. He credits his participation in the Boys and Girls Club and the experiences he received from MVK as difference makers in his life.
Over the years, MVK has provided more than 226,600 opportunities, valued at almost $5 million dollars, to deserving kids and their families, social workers, mentors and more.
Now, the mission has grown to more than events and experiences, but education, too. Most Valuable Kids has recently formed a partnership with the Mayerson JCC, which provides hands-on science and art programs to MVK partner agencies. Additionally, MVK now operates its own female empowerment program called Girls with Pearls, covering important topics like financial literacy, reproductive health, conflict resolution and setting goals for the future.
“No doubt the most rewarding part of my job is hearing from our partners how much the experience has meant to the kids and families they serve,” said Friedman. “There are so many people with limited resources who wouldn’t have the opportunity to experience the magic of a live sports or cultural event without MVK and our incredible donors.”
– Kathrine Nero