Latest news with #OhioUnion
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Ohio State quarterback Will Howard helps bring attention to bone-marrow needs
If an onlooker standing outside the Ohio Union on March 27 asked what the long line snaking around the building was for, anyone in the line would have probably had the right answer: Will Howard. But there's more to the story. Two months before Ohio State's star quarterback spent that Thursday afternoon posing for photos and signing autographs, he was sent a message by 21-year-old Charlotte "Charley" Bauer. On Jan. 29, Bauer wrote the following note from the hospital to Ohio State's star quarterback, thanking him for his advocacy for the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP). 'My name is Charley Bauer, and I am a nursing student at Ohio State. This past year, I've been battling high-risk acute myeloid leukemia at Nationwide Children's Hospital. Recently, someone sent me a video of you raising awareness for the NMDP registry, and I love that you are advocating for donors to join! I received my stem cell transplant last September, and I have been in remission ever since. I'm still not fully recovered from the transplant, but I'm working really hard to get there," the message read. 'I don't think students fully grasp how crucial a stem cell transplant is to patients in need. I wouldn't be here today without mine, and I carry that knowledge with me every day. Diving into the actual impact students can make if they say 'yes' to being a donor could inspire more people to get swabbed. If you ever want to collaborate on something — now or in the future — I'd love to help share my experience.' The message, provided by the NMDP, never made it to Howard while Bauer was still alive. The Ohio State nursing student succumbed to her fight to acute myeloid leukemia (AML) on Feb. 16. In a quote provided via the NMDP, Charley's mother, Alyssa, noted the importance of joining the stem cell registry to provide those who are battling the same journey the chance to survive. "Our family is extremely grateful for each individual who joins the NMDP stem cell registry. Although Charley was unable to secure her perfect 10 out of 10 match, she would be honored to know that her story has helped grow the registry for others in need," she said. "From the moment she was diagnosed, Charley was determined to survive AML and the transplant. She fought her battles with everything she had. Through it all, she remained positive, optimistic and connected with her nurses, doctors and patients on the oncology floor of Nationwide Children's Hospital. "Her final words were 'It will be OK,' and 'I can do hard things.' The world is certainly missing out on having Charley here with us. She was destined to do great things not only as a future nurse, but as a kind and compassionate human. She leaves behind a legacy of courage, hope and above all else, pure love.' Just a month after Bauer's death, the NMDP, in partnership with Ohio State's Be The Match Club, held a drive in her memory. Howard joined the event, as did other student athletes and a fleet of Buckeye Paws therapy dogs — including dogs Bo, Norman, Shiloh and Indy — as Bauer was a dog lover whose special joy was the Butterfly Paws team at Nationwide. To remember Bauer's legacy and encourage students and faculty to sign up for the bone marrow registry, the celebration reminded the community of her core message through treatment: "I can do hard things." Attending the registry drive as a friend to both Bauer and Howard, 10-year-old Katelyn Weirich floated around the crowd with her parents, Tara and Jeff. Looking out at the long line of people patiently waiting to meet with Howard, Tara Weirich said she was "super happy" for what it meant for the NMDP registry. "Katelyn and Charley were friends. We were both praying for each other for a long time. Her mom and I are friends now," Weirich said. "If she (Charley) would have had a 10 out of 10 match, then it could have saved her life. There were three people in the whole world that had a 10 out of 10 for her and weren't able to donate at the time, so we need more people in the registry so there can be a greater number than three in the entire world." Ohio State's Be The Match Club president Shreaya Madireddy said she started the chapter to diversify and grow the NMDP bone marrow registry. "Matching is based on your HLA (human leukocyte antigen) type, which is based on your background. Since OSU has so many students with so many different backgrounds, we thought this would be the perfect place to start a club," Madireddy said. "Right now, we're honoring Charley." Howard said he has been involved with the NMDP — formerly called Be The Match — for several years, inspired by his mother, Maureen, who worked as an occupational therapist at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The 23-year-old quarterback, originally from Pennsylvania, started a drive at Kansas State University, but he wasn't able to participate last year due to the quick turnaround while moving his college football career to Ohio State. "It's such an easy process to swap somebody's mouth and get them on the registry. There could be somebody out there that could be the match for one of these kids that has these blood cancers, or one of these adults, and need a bone marrow or stem cell transplant," Howard said. "I try to encourage as many people as I can to get on and help save a life because I've seen that three or four people that I've gotten on the registry have saved lives now, and it's crazy." Noting the March 27 drive had already surpassed its goal as of an hour before its scheduled end time, Howard said he was happy to be able to participate this year. "It's way more important than anything I do on the field. I love what I do on the field, but, I mean, this is what it's really about," he said. Sophia Veneziano is a Columbus Dispatch reporter supported by the Center for HumanKindness at The Columbus Foundation. She may be reached at sveneziano@ The Dispatch retains full editorial independence for all content. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Will Howard, National Marrow Donor Program host OSU registry event
USA Today
12-02-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Columbus City Council hosts Black History month celebration, Poindexter Awards
Columbus City Council hosted its annual Black History Month celebration Tuesday evening, honoring African Americans in labor. Council members presented this year's Poindexter Awards to five leaders of the Black community in Columbus, two business owners and three union leaders. The awards are named after the Rev. James Preston Poindexter, who became the first Black member of Columbus City Council when he was elected in 1879. 'This event was a celebration of our past and our present moment, a recognition of how far we've come and how far we have to go,' said Council President Shannon Hardin. The celebration comes as President Donald Trump's administration takes aim at diversity, equity and inclusion policies and as the Ohio Senate heard testimony Tuesday on a sweeping higher education bill that would dismantle DEI programs at public universities. Elon Simms, chief of staff for Mayor Andrew J. Ginther, acknowledged the moment's significance. 'At a time where rancor and division dominate the national discourse, now perhaps more than ever before, we refuse to be swayed by cynicism or bitterness,' Simms said. 'The fight for equity and justice continues, and we must remain steadfast in our commitment to progress. We owe it to those who came before us to carry that torch forward.' Council President Pro Tempore Rob Dorans put it more bluntly. 'I got to tell you, there is a lot of nonsense going on over at the Statehouse right now and coming out of Washington, D.C. That's about as polite as I can put it," Dorans said. "But, man, is there some energy in this room tonight.' Related news:Diversity discussion banned at Columbus VA MLK lunch, Franklin County commissioner said The ceremony included the singing of 'Lift Every Voice and Sing,' a hymn often referred to as 'The Black National Anthem.' Keynote speaker Rita Fuller-Yates, local historian and author, talked about the history of Columbus' earliest free Black residents and how the community grew and built the foundation for future generations. Council members presented the Poindexter Awards to the following: Curtis J. Moody , the founder of Moody Nolan, the largest minority-owned architecture firm in the U.S. Moody died in October. His work includes the Ohio Union at Ohio State University, the Columbus Metropolitan Library's Martin Luther King branch and an athletics facility at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. , the founder of Moody Nolan, the largest minority-owned architecture firm in the U.S. Moody died in October. His work includes the Ohio Union at Ohio State University, the Columbus Metropolitan Library's Martin Luther King branch and an athletics facility at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. Brian Brooks , president and co-owner of E.E. Ward Moving & Storage since 2011, leads the oldest African-American-owned businesses in the U.S. The business was founded in 1881. (Read more about this historic business on the "Our History" page in Sunday, Feb. 23.) , president and co-owner of E.E. Ward Moving & Storage since 2011, leads the oldest African-American-owned businesses in the U.S. The business was founded in 1881. (Read more about this historic business on the "Our History" page in Sunday, Feb. 23.) Lois Carson , state president of the Ohio Association of Public School Employees, worked as a Columbus City Schools secretary for 37 years. Carson is also an Ohio AFL-CIO vice president. , state president of the Ohio Association of Public School Employees, worked as a Columbus City Schools secretary for 37 years. Carson is also an Ohio AFL-CIO vice president. Louella Day-Jeter , president of the Columbus Chapter of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, has led the chapter since 2015. , president of the Columbus Chapter of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, has led the chapter since 2015. Rhonda Johnson, a member of the State Board of Education, worked for 36 years as a teacher at Columbus City Schools and five years as education director for the City of Columbus. She was the first African American or woman president of the Columbus Education Association. jlaird@ @LairdWrites
