Student-Athletes Start School Year with 3,054 Service Hours

Men’s lacrosse raises funds, awawreness for CJD Memorial Fund

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Throughout the months of September and October, Ohio State student-athletes combined for 3,054 service hours. Totaling, 3,280 hours since July, Buckeyes from 24 different teams have already found ways to give back to the Columbus community.
 
Participating in 17 events, the spirit squad collected the most hours in September with 338, while the men’s lacrosse team tallied the team high in October with 307.
 
STANDOUT SERVICE
On a beautiful day in Columbus, the Ohio State men's lacrosse team closed out its fall schedule Oct. 15 with the inaugural CJD Memorial Fall Classic. The event featured three games involving Ohio State, Canisius and Ohio Wesleyan and was played at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium and fields outside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

The CJD Memorial Fall Classic honored the life of and lives saved by Colleen J. Dobbins, the daughter of Ohio State assistant coach Dave Dobbins and his wife, Erin. Colleen passed away suddenly at Nationwide Children's Hospital March 24, 2011, at 5 ½ months old. With the help of Lifeline of Ohio and Nationwide Children's Hospital, Colleen became an organ donor and saved the lives of two other children.

"I can't think of a better way to wrap our fall season," Coach Dobbins said. "The support we have received from the Ohio State Department of Athletics and the greater lacrosse community has been tremendous. This was a really special day for Erin and me to be able to honor Colleen in this way and raise money for an organization we know will provide unparalleled care and comfort to families that have children in need of care."

More than $5,000 was raised at the event through admission, concessions and donations for the CJD Memorial Fund to help support the PICU (pediatric intensive care unit) as well as the Reach Out and Read program at Nationwide Children's Hospital. The Reach Out and Read program partners with doctors to prescribe books and encourage families to read together. The program works to provide children 6 months through 5 years with a new, developmentally-appropriate children's book to take home and keep during well-child visits in addition to having doctors speak with parents about the importance of reading aloud to young children every day. Nationwide Children's had representatives at the stadium during the day to provide information to fans.

Lifeline of Ohio had representatives at the stadium for the event and registered six Ohio residents as organ donors. Many attendees were able to verify their status as organ donors with the organization and in addition, fans from out of state were directed how to become donors in their home states.

The CJD Memorial Fall Classic was a family-friendly event and included face painting and coloring stations for children, provided by the Ohio State women's lacrosse and synchronized swimming teams. Students and teachers from St. Francis DeSales volunteered throughout the day to run concessions and tickets.
 
BUCKEYE SERVICE BITS
·         Ohio State student-athletes from 12 different sports spent the afternoon Sunday, Sept. 25 at the New Albany Classic Invitational Grand Prix and Family Day supporting the Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence.

·         17 members of the synchronized swimming team participated in the Steps for Sarcoma run/walk.

·         Buckeye athletes and the Ohio State Department of Athletics supported the fight against breast cancer, as various teams “went pink” during the month of October.

·         Members of the rowing and women’s track and field teams supported the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society by participating in the Light the Night Walk.

·         Student-athletes from the baseball, men’s soccer, men’s volleyball, women’s gymnastics, women’s swimming, synchronized swimming, women’s track and field and wrestling teams assisted with a “safe Halloween” trick-or-treat for area children.

·         Members of the football team made numerous visits to the Ohio State Medical Center and Nationwide Children’s Hospital in September.

·         Throughout September and October, members of the men’s tennis, baseball, women’s gymnastics, rowing, men’s lacrosse, women’s lacrosse, men’s swimming, synchronized swimming and football teams read to local second graders through the Second and Seven Foundation.

·         26 student-athletes from the men’s track and field team helped with a canned food drive.