On the 8th, Eiichi Katayama and Hayate Ueki visited Takasago Elementary School in Saitama City and interacted with the students.
Under its club philosophy of "contributing to the healthy development of young people as a member of society," Urawa Reds engages in activities aimed at making the club and players feel closer to children in its hometown through interaction with them. As part of its community contribution activities, since 2021, the club has been delivering gifts to new first-grade students at elementary schools in Saitama City, and at Takasago Elementary School, they held an exchange with the students in conjunction with the gift presentation.



All the students gathered in the gymnasium, and when the athletes appeared, they were greeted with loud applause.
First, we held the awards ceremony for the "Audience's No. 1 Alma Mater Championship! ~Saitama City Elementary School Edition~" which took place at the Frontale match "THE SAITAMA DAY" on April 29th.
The project was conducted with the aim of allowing fans and supporters to reaffirm their connection with their hometown and the local community by surveying the elementary schools they attended, and Takasago Elementary School came out on top among elementary schools in Saitama City.
When Katayama presented the certificate of commendation to the student representative, the venue erupted in cheers and applause.





Next, a gift presentation was held for the new first-year students. Ueki presented a flyer inviting them to watch Trial of Urawa Reds or Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Urawa Reds Ladies in the 2026 season, along with an original reflective sticker of Urawa Reds mascot Redia, to a representative of the first-year students. Ueki offered words of congratulations to the new first-year students and conveyed a message that he hoped they would have a safe school life. The children smiled at the gifts from the players.
This congratulatory gift for entering elementary school is being offered to 57 elementary schools in Saitama City, and will be delivered to them sequentially in the coming days.



Following the presentation of gifts, Ueki gave a juggling demonstration. The children's eyes lit up at his nimble ball control, and the venue erupted in cheers and applause. There was even a moment when the children asked him for tips on juggling, and they listened attentively to his advice.




During the commemorative photo session with all the students, everyone enthusiastically chanted "We are Reds!" as the photo was taken, creating a sense of unity throughout the venue. Finally, the players delivered messages to the students, urging them to come and support the team at the stadium.




After the exchange event, the children left the venue, exchanging high-fives with the players. The visit to the elementary school for the day came to an end in a cheerful atmosphere.




[Eiichi Katayama]
"I was so happy to see the children greet me with such enthusiastic cheers. It was my first time presenting an award certificate, so I was nervous, but I was glad to see the children's joy. I believe that Urawa Reds is where it is today because of the support of the local community, and I feel that these kinds of connections with the community are very important. I will do my best so that when the children who came today come to the stadium to watch Trial, I can show them my performance."

[Hayate Ueki]
"I was happy to see how energetic and delighted the elementary school students were. I was nervous about doing the juggling, but I'm glad I was able to perform in front of the children. The support from the local community is what gives us strength and motivation. I will continue to play with gratitude and do my best to achieve good results and bring a title to the team. I would be delighted if you would come to the stadium and cheer us on."



[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]