 O.A.R. Accepts the Challenge
15 years ago, five young men began their freshman year at The Ohio State University together. Shortly after, they also began their careers together. Marc Roberge, Christ Culos, Benj Gershman, and Richard On had come to Columbus from Maryland with a goal. "Ohio State was absolutely targeted, we wanted to go there," Roberge said in an interview with Ohio State’s Lantern in 2004. "Ohio State is the biggest school. We wanted to be their band." After fellow-freshman Jerry DePizzo of Youngstown, Ohio joined the quartet as a saxophonist, they did become Ohio State’s band. "By the time I was in my fourth year we were traveling within the state and the region to many different schools," Roberge remembers. O.A.R.’s success continued after graduation and in 2002 their album In Between Now and Then won a spot on the Billboard 200. By the end of 2008, the band had released six studio albums and three live double disc CDs. To date, O.A.R. has sold close to 2 million albums and over 2 million concert tickets. As their success grew, the band became more and more dedicated to giving back. In 2006 they established Heard the World a philanthropic fund to support youth, education and sustainable programs in the United States and abroad. In October of 2012, O.A.R. was invited to perform on The Oval to kick start the university’s “But for Ohio State...” Campaign Kickoff event. In response to one of the five priorities of the comprehensive campaign, Placing Students First, the band made one of the first contributions to the university initiative, the Ohio Scholarship Challenge. O.A.R.’s Heard the World Scholarship will give students from the Youngstown area the financial resources to attend Ohio State, regardless of what major they choose. Through their Heard the World Scholarship and the Ohio Scholarship Challenge, O.A.R. is helping Ohio State put students first. Thank you!   |
