Expect to hear Sean Casey hit the WLW-AM airwaves in April during Cincinnati Reds games with a pitch for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cincinnati.

The Reds first baseman isn't just talking. He's a Big Brother in the community program, which matches boys and girls with adult mentors and was founded in Cincinnati in 1903 by businessman Irvin Westheimer.

The media campaign is only one part of a $1 million fund-raising goal by the group, with a target date of late next year. It hopes to fund the media effort, an expansion of its list of local kids it can match with local adults, and about $450,000 for a permanent endowment.

The expansion would add 400 kids on the waiting list to the more than 1,400 now served, said Mike Sweeney, chair of the campaign. "Six months from now, I could be singing a different tune, but for now, we're right on schedule," he said.

The group has raised about $188,000, including contributions from companies such as Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America, General Cable Corp. and Fifth Third Bank. Sweeney said he hopes the Casey campaign will spur more attention.

Follow the money

Carol Brady never told it like this.

TV mom Florence Henderson was among the headliners at last week's Speaking of Women's Health conference at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington. Companies from around the country, including Guidant Corp., Wal-Mart Stores and Procter & Gamble Co. are sponsoring the events, hoping to tap into the demographically friendly audience with considerable disposable income.

"In my business, television, everything is geared to the 18-to-40-year-old," Henderson said, pronouncing herself "well over 40."

"But we have all the money, and I think all the sponsors here are realizing that."

Henderson also will be a new permanent co-host of the Speaking of Women's Health television show on the Lifetime cable channel.

Finished? Maybe not

Don't expect much impact in Cincinnati from Procter & Gamble Co.'s announcement Tuesday that it would buy German hair-care giant Wella AG.

But don't expect it to deter P&G from another major acquisition, either.

Despite the huge price - close to $7 billion, including Wella debt - P&G still has the resources to mount another bid, one Wall Street analyst said.

One obvious candidate: Beiersdorf, the maker of Nivea skin cream and a rumored P&G target for much of the last year.

P&G is throwing out record amounts of cash from operations. And with record low interest rates, it can easily finance much of the Wella deal.

"The price is a bit of a surprise. It's at the high end of the range," said Ann Gillin of Lehman Brothers. "But they're not going to be precluded from looking at Beiersdorf here."

E-mail cpeale@enquirer.com