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In 1982, the Club directors determined that we needed a project to help local students offset the
cost of attending The Ohio State University from here in South Florida. This marked the birth of
our Scholarship Fund. The Fund was given a kick start through the generous contributions of G.
Harold Martin, Bill Kuipers and others. But, large contributions did not come easy. The OSU
Development Office asked that we not divert current alumni contributions to Ohio State toward our
new Fund. We had to come up with our own sources of contributions.

Mr. Martin proposed a plan to take the pressure off recent graduates, while asking those
established in their careers to dig a little deeper. The concept was simple: Ask each Club member
to make an annual contribution equal to the member’s age. We called the plan, “A BUCK-A-
YEAR FOR THE BUCKEYES.” The plan has been a success. Although we do not get 100%
participation, many members send a separate “Buck-A-Year” check with their dues.

For additional revenue we look directly to our Club events. Over the past ten years the two largest
sources of funds have been the weekly football gameday raffles in the fall and the Annual
Scholarship Golf Tournament in the spring. Our raffles are held after the end of the first, second
and third quarters of each game at Bru’s Room. As the weekly crowds have grown, so has the
return on the raffles. The Club gets the raffle prizes through donations from members’ purchases in
Columbus and through our own purchases. Obviously, donations greatly improve the bottom line.
From the golf tournament we rely on the sponsor money as well as a portion of the entry fees,
mulligan tickets and the raffle held at the dinner.

If you are headed to Columbus this summer or in the fall, and intend to purchase some Buckeye
shirts, hats or other memorabilia, pick up something extra for the raffle. Also, check out College
Traditions on Lane Avenue next to the Varsity Club. Simply tell them as you check out that you are
a member of the Broward County Alumni Club. This also works for phone and online purchases.
At the end of each year College Traditions sends us a check for 15% of the total purchases by Club
members. Another source of funds is Buckeye Sports Bulletin. Subscribe and tell them you are a
Broward Club member and they send us an annual check. One little tip: Opt for the 1st Class Mail
to get the paper timely. Conrad’s says they have a similar program, but we have not seen their
check.

So, who benefits from the Scholarship Fund? Local students from right here in South Florida.
Most are from Broward and Palm Beach Counties. Many are children or friends of members. Last
year we were able to help four students.

How do we find students? We actively recruit at high school college fairs, deliver information to
school counselors, and rely on you. You are our best source of student recruitment. Let us know if
your son or daughter or a child of a friend is interested in Ohio State. Our Scholarship Fund is one
of the largest outside the state of Ohio. It is managed by Ohio State and the income is made
available to us annually. We make the decisions regarding who receives aid and how much.

We ask that you join us in supporting the Scholarship Fund. Join the Club. Your dues offset
expenses and make more money available for the Fund. Participate in the “Buck-A-Year”
program. Sponsor a hole and come out and play in the golf tournament. Attend all of our events.
Buy your raffle tickets early and often. Check out College Traditions and Buckeye Sports Bulletin.
And, help us find the best and the brightest students for Ohio State. Want to help with student
recruitment? Send us your name using the comments section below.