Angel Open Reaches $200,000 This Year
The annual Angel Open golf outing raised $39,000 for the Spielman Fund this year, bringing the total amount raised in the past 11 years to more than $200,000. Longtime supporters of the Spielman Fund, event organizers Keith Hamilton, Bob Coonfare and Larry Wilson continue to hold the outing event year after year because of their strong passion for this cause. They created the Angel Open golf outing in loving memory of Kelley Hamilton, Keith’s sister, Judy Coonfare, Bob’s wife, Jan Wilson, Larry’s wife and their families. Although they have reached their goal of raising $200,000 for breast cancer research, they are committed to an even larger goal: to help find a cure for cancer. This growing event is held at Mill Creek Golf Club and features a double shotgun format. Participants can join in skills games including longest drive, longest putt, and closest to the pin contests. The Spielman Fund is extremely grateful to the sponsors, participants and organizers who join together to make this event such a success.
Buckeyes for a Cure Raising Awareness, One Buckeye at a Time
As breast cancer awareness continues to spread nationwide, organizations across the country explore new and innovative ways to gain support for the cause. Invokause, a nonprofit organization specializing in creative programs for community causes, has found a unique way to support the Spielman Fund by combining Buckeye spirit with breast cancer fundraising efforts. The group’s goal is to sell buckeye nuts in hope of creating the world’s largest buckeye necklace and in doing so, raise money for the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research.
Each buckeye is sold for $2.50 with at least $1 of each purchase benefiting the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research. After each purchase, buyers are assigned numbers and are able to see a picture of their buckeye online. Number 1 is reserved for Stefanie in honor of her courageous fight against breast cancer and number 36 for Chris, who wore this number while playing football for Ohio State. “Buckeyes for a Cure” hopes to increase awareness of this effort and continue their mission to build the largest buckeye necklace ever. Join today by purchasing your own buckeye at www.buckeyesforacure.com and contribute to raising awareness and funding for a cause that needs support from all of us!
Jones Middle School Fall Production
The Spielman Fund is thankful for ten years of support from the students, teachers and parents at Jones Middle School in Upper Arlington, Ohio. The fundraising efforts at Jones Middle School began in 2000 when music teacher, Susie Matthews was diagnosed with breast cancer. In response, parents and teachers at Jones Middle School decided to turn the fall drama production into a fundraiser for the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research. This year’s fundraiser was called “We will sing and dance until we find a cure” and all students were invited to participate in the fundraising efforts. For each $50 a student raised, they were entered into a raffle for items such as an iPod Nano, an OSU tribute jersey signed by Chris Spielman and a five-foot standing Brutus. In addition, donations were accepted at each fall production performance, select football games and the Sports Award Banquet.
Barrington Elementary School Buckeye Bonanza
For the past 11 years, Barrington Elementary School in Upper Arlington 4th grade students have organized an impressive fundraising sale called Buckeye Bonanza. The annual Buckeye Bonanza sale is a project in which students create and sell Buckeye-themed products to raise money for the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research. There was an especially strong focus on Stefanie’s legacy this year because her daughter, Macy, was one of the Barrington fourth-graders contributing to the Buckeye Bonanza. Items created by the students included pillows, scarves, hair accessories, magnets, buckeye necklaces and more. The sale took place at Barrington Elementary and at the Ohio Union on the OSU campus. The students performed Carmen Ohio and Hang on Sloopy on their recorders for everyone in the Union. Thank you Barrington Elementary 4th graders for your excitement and contributions to the Spielman Fund!
FIJI Uses OSU Michigan Rivalry to Raise $12,354 for the Fund
Since 2002, brothers of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, also known as “FIJI,” have been competing in the FIJI Rivalry Run against Cancer. Brothers from two famous rival schools, OSU and Michigan, team up each year to carry an official game ball from the away team’s stadium to the home team’s stadium. In 2010, the ball was carried from Ann Arbor to Columbus in a relay fashion. On the Friday before the game, the Michigan chapter of FIJI began the relay around 5 a.m. until about 8 p.m., when they transferred the ball to the Ohio State chapter in Findlay, Ohio. This journey is approximately 187 miles, so the brothers were in charge of detailed planning to make the creative event a success. The Ohio State chapter of Phi Gamma Delta has chosen the Spielman Fund to receive all funds raised by the Rivalry Run, while the funds raised by the Michigan chapter are donated to the Coach Carr Cancer Foundation. Last year, over $12,354 was donated to the Spielman Fund by the Ohio State brothers of Phi Gamma Delta.
Fueling the Cure Campaign Raises More Than $70,000
Three Ohio companies—United Landmark, Southwest Landmark and Trupointe Cooperative—have been teaming up to support the Spielman Fund. In their first year, 2009-2010, the three companies set a $30,000 goal. However, the campaign greatly exceeded expectations and reached $70,000 in just one year.
To raise the money, each company first donated the use of a new pink propane delivery truck to serve as a traveling billboard for the campaign. The companies’ other delivery trucks have a “Fueling the Cure” decal.
For each propane delivery stop any of the three companies have made since Oct. 1, 2009, one dollar has been donated to the Spielman Fund. Furthermore, the companies have raised additional funds through employee and customer donations throughout each year.
In September of 2010 at The Ohio State University Farm Science Review, these supporters presented a check to University President E. Gordon Gee for more than $70,000 to benefit the Spielman Fund.
The co-operatives created the Co-Operatives for Fueling the Cure Endowment Fund at the OSUCCC – James to support more research areas of Ohio State’s cancer program. On September 20, 2011 a check was again presented at the Ohio State Farm Science Review to the OSUCCC – James for more than $101,500 from the second year fundraising effort, with more than $20,000 going to the Spielman Fund and more than $80,000 to support the bio nutritional research of Dr. Steven Clinton.
ADS Raises $19,000 for Spielman Fund
Advanced Drainage Systems (ADS), a company that develops products and services to solve storm water and sanitary sewer challenges, has raised $19,000 for the Spielman Fund. Each year an employee committee picks a cause for which to raise money. After the Spielman Fund was chosen for 2010, the company participated in a wide range of internal employee fundraising activities, including a company golf outing, a cookout, weekly football and basketball raffles, breakfasts and lunches and a 5K run.
ADS held a wrap-up event on Dec. 17, 2010 at Worthington Hills Country Club in Columbus. Chris Spielman was in attendance as the company announced their $19,000 contribution to the Spielman Fund.