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‘High energy conversations.’ Bengals’ Zac Taylor on Ted Karras

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor on center Ted Karras: “Three words to describe him: high energy conversations.”

Cincinnati Bengals center Ted Karras and his wife, Rachel Karras, are teaming up with a Cincinnati-based nonprofit and releasing a new product aimed to help human trafficking survivors.

The Karrases’ organization, The Cincy Hat Foundation, is set to release specialty belt bags and backpacks in partnership with the Aruna Project, which aims to provide lifelong freedom for survivors of human trafficking by providing sustainable employment and holistic care. Ryan and April Berg founded the Aruna Project in 2014 after being moved by the realities of human trafficking during a trip to Mumbai, India.

The collaboration with Cincy Hat began when Noel Rey (one of the Bengals‘ chaplains) – along with her husband and former Bengal Vincent Ray – connected with Rachel Karras about getting involved with Aruna.

Now, less than two months after meeting with the Aruna team, the Cincy Hat-branded bags are officially launching to the public.

“The Cincy Hat collaboration with Aruna represents a unity of purpose,” Rachel Karras said in a statement. “An intentional coming together to stand behind those whose voices go unheard. We hear them, we see them and will do everything we can to empower them.” 

Each bag is hand-crafted in India by artisans who’ve survived sex trafficking. The names of the women who crafted them are even printed on the liner inside of the bags. The bags are then shipped to Cincinnati, where local survivors are employed to help with packaging and shipping.

Ryan Berg said the collaboration is “huge” because they are “essentially raising the voice of these survivors in a way they could never.” As a result, awareness grows and demand grows, which “pulls more women into freedom,” he said.

Karras has partnered with several organizations through his Cincy Hat initiative, which helped put him in the running for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award in 2023.

“I often say The Cincy Hat is a conduit for good. When we started, our mission was solely to support adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, but due to the overwhelming generosity of this community, we’ve been able to uplift other nonprofits doing meaningful work in our city and beyond. The Aruna collaboration is no exception and it’s a powerful one at that,” Ted Karras said in a statement.

How to get the Cincy Hat-Aruna Project bags

Two Cincy-themed bags will launch as part of the initiative: the Soniya Belt Bag (which is Paycor Stadium-compliant) priced at $59, and the Rani Backpack (not stadium compliant) priced at $139. The bags will be available for sale at arunaproject.com and thecincyhat.com on Friday, Nov. 7.