Cincinnati City Councilman Wendell Young joined the “Make It Official” team members Michael Schuster, David Schuster, Steve Langenkamp and Larisa Forester on the Cincinnati Reds’ diamond to propose a resolution that would officially – and permanently – declare the Cincinnati Reds’ Opening Day an Official Ceremonial Holiday in the City of Cincinnati.
“For over 135 years – longer than any other city in the country – Cincinnatians have had the privilege of enjoying professional baseball,” said Councilman Young, “The Reds are an integral part of the fabric of our community, and Opening Day has been an unofficial holiday for as long as I can remember. I’m proud to be part of the effort to finally give it its due.”
In what appears to be a national precedent, the resolution designates the date of the first home game of each Reds season an Official Ceremonial Holiday, but does not require that employers give their workers the day off or pay overtime. Rather, it simply encourages citizens and businesses to celebrate such an important day in Cincinnati.
“If you ask bosses around town, Opening Day sees more cases of ‘sick’ people than any other day throughout the year,” said Michael Schuster, president of MSA Architects and founder of the “Make It Official” group. “Opening Day is our Mardi Gras. It’s time that we embrace our history and make official this wonderful and historic event.”
