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The Buckeye community takes the cake

David Jones

What is the Stadium Cake Crew? The "Ohio Stadium Cake Crew," as we call ourselves, is a small group of alumni from Logan, Ohio, most of us family, who have tailgated together for nearly 30 years. We constructed the first stadium cake for our tailgate party on a dare in 1991. We have continued the tradition since, and started collecting money for scholarships beginning in 1993, raising enough to endow our own fund in 1999. Other family members and friends have joined us along the way following their graduation from OSU

Why did the Club establish the Stadium Cake Scholarship? All of us received scholarships when we attended Ohio State beginning in the 1970s. Thousands of people stopped by our tailgate to view the cake, and we thought cutting and serving slices following a Buckeye victory would be a creative way to raise money. Because several of our group worked in student financial aid, it was only natural that we settled on giving the money we raised to the University for need-based scholarships.

What is the Club's vision/goal for your gift and its future impact? We now have an endowed fund containing nearly $150,000, the earnings from which have financed 50 scholarships awarded by the University since the 2004-05 school year. Six Stadium Cake Scholarships were awarded for the 2014-15 school year. We hope to continue to grow the fund so that the University is able to award more scholarships each year and can continue to award them in perpetuity.

Why is philanthropy and giving back important to the Club? We were all raised in a small town by parents who made community service an important part of their lives. They demonstrated service to others on a daily basis. Most of our parents were not college graduates, and they all worked hard and sacrificed so their children could attend college; not just any college, but The Ohio State University. We hope to play a small part in allowing others to enjoy the same opportunities we did.

How would you describe the Club's connection to the university over the years? We continue to feel a strong connection to Ohio State. Several of us have multiple degrees from OSU. Some of us work for OSU. Our children have attended OSU. Quite simply, we bleed scarlet and gray.

The 24th Annual Ohio Stadium Cake will be displayed on the south lawn of St. John Arena prior to the Ohio State v. Indiana football game on November 22, 2014. Additional information can be found on their website.

If you have an idea to support young Buckeyes, please contact Leslie Kreinberg at 614-247-6600 or by email at kreinberg.3@osu.edu

 
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