Ted Karras has turned a simple Cincinnati Bengals-themed hat into something much bigger than merchandise.
The Bengals’ center’s Cincy Hat has become synonymous with giving back to the community, with proceeds supporting causes important to Karras and his hometown of Cincinnati. The Cincy Hat Foundation has since grown into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on providing education and infrastructure for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
But one of the most meaningful Cincy Hat collaborations
yet came from an encounter Karras had at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. It started with a leukemia survivor named Josh.
According to a member of the Blood Cancer United Light The Night executive committee for Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, Josh, who works as a dispatcher and is a leukemia survivor, met Karras during a treatment visit at Cincinnati Children’s.
Karras spent time with Josh and gave him a signed Cincy Hat.
It was a seemingly simple gesture. But it stuck with both of them.
And eventually, it helped inspire an idea that has now become reality.
A meeting at Cincinnati Children’s became something bigger
Josh’s encounter with Karras is at the heart of the new collaboration between The Cincy Hat and Blood Cancer United’s Light The Night campaign.
The result is a limited Blood Cancer United x Cincy Hat black mid-crown rope hat (pre-order has expired and sold out, with more available on the horizon), with the Blood Cancer United logo on one side, the Light The Night logo on the other, and the Cincy outline script on the front.
More importantly, a portion of proceeds from the collaboration will benefit the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Light The Night campaign.
That means a hat that started with a Cincinnati sports connection can ultimately help families dealing with one of the most difficult experiences imaginable.
Blood Cancer United’s Light The Night campaign brings together patients, families, community members, and sponsors to raise money for blood cancer research while also supporting patients and their families with information and services and advocating for access to quality care.
The Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky event is scheduled for October 22 at Yeatman’s Cove, with Blood Cancer United setting a $1.4 million fundraising goal for the campaign.
This is what the Cincy Hat has become
When Karras first began selling the Cincy Hat, it was a simple way to show Cincinnati pride while supporting a charitable cause.
It has since evolved considerably.
The Cincy Hat Foundation officially launched in 2024, with a mission centered on supporting adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Cincinnati. Among its initiatives have been scholarships through the University of Cincinnati’s Transition and Access Pathways program.
The initiative has also raised significant money for charitable causes.
According to The Cincy Hat, Karras’ efforts have generated more than $800,000, including more than $325,000 donated to Village of Merici, an organization serving adults with developmental disabilities. That’s why this latest collaboration feels like a natural extension of what Karras has been building.
The Cincy Hat isn’t simply a Bengals-themed product anymore. It’s a vehicle for bringing Cincinnati people and organizations together around causes that matter.
And in this case, the connection is especially personal.
One signed hat helped spark an important collaboration
There’s something fitting about the fact that this particular collaboration traces back to Karras simply taking the time to talk with someone at Cincinnati Children’s.
Josh was going through something no one should have to experience. Karras couldn’t cure leukemia during that hospital visit.
He couldn’t eliminate the uncertainty surrounding a cancer diagnosis.
But he could spend some time with a young survivor, listen to him, and give him something to remember the encounter by. That signed Cincy Hat eventually became part of a much bigger idea.
Now, other families facing blood cancer can benefit from that connection. That’s the real impact of this collaboration.
It’s not just about a hat.
It’s about what can happen when a professional athlete uses his platform to connect people, organizations, and charitable causes. And that’s something Karras has consistently demonstrated since turning the Cincy Hat into a philanthropic movement.
Karras’ community impact continues to grow
Karras has increasingly become one of the Bengals’ most prominent community advocates.
The NFL has previously recognized his charitable work through the Cincy Hat Foundation, which was Karras’ designated cause through the league’s My Cause My Cleats initiative.
The Bengals also named Karras their club winner for the 2025 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, recognizing his contributions both on and off the field.
The Blood Cancer United collaboration adds another chapter to that work.
And perhaps the best part is how organically it came together.
One meeting.
One leukemia survivor.
One signed hat. And an idea that eventually turned into an opportunity to help countless other families.
For Karras, that may be the most meaningful part of what the Cincy Hat has become. It started as a way to represent Cincinnati.
Now it’s becoming another way to help take care of the people who call Cincinnati home.
