A collage of photos of Will Meyers was displayed at a Sept. 25 fundraiser at The Library Bar — located at 2169 N. High St. Credit: Helena Hennessy | Managing Arts & Life Editor
Members from all corners of the Buckeye community gathered to celebrate the life and legacy of William Meyers a year after his passing — advocating for mental health and celebrating friendship.?
Meyers, who was a third-year in accounting, passed away following an incident at Ohio Stadium on Sept. 26, 2025, according to prior Lantern reporting. The Library Bar, located at 2169 N. High St., hosted a special edition of their Beat the Clock deal on Sept. 25 — where drinks are discounted and prices increase by the hour. The bar spotlighted friends of Meyers, who accepted donations for the Christina and Ryan Day Fund for Pediatric and Adolescent Mental Wellness at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, according to the bar’s Instagram post.?
“We were approached by [Meyers’] roommates not long after his passing, and they had mentioned an interest in doing something like this,” said Quinn Allen, owner of The Library Bar. “We were able to circle back around to it when everybody got back into school, and this all just came together.”?
In honor of the fundraiser, The Library Bar partnered with Surfside — a brand of lemonade and iced tea cocktails — to give away branded raffle prizes, including a light-up wall sign, football helmet, portable speaker and more, Allen said. Attendees of the fundraiser were able to donate to the cause by purchasing raffle tickets to enter into the Surfside-sponsored giveaway.?
A variety of Surfside-sponsored prizes were raffled off to those who donated to the Christina and Ryan Day fund at the Sept. 25 fundraiser. Credit: Helena Hennessy | Managing Arts & Life Editor
“There are people reaching out through Instagram and saying, ‘Oh, [Meyers] would have loved this. This is so cool that you guys are doing this,’” Allen said. “We get those opportunities because people see how intertwined we are with the campus. We’re always willing to lend an ear and a helping hand to whatever cause we can.”?
Reed Kroeger, a fourth-year in business and friend of Meyers, said they raised more than $6,100 for the Christina and Ryan Day Fund — a charity focused on advocacy for children’s mental health, according to the website.??
Kroeger said he and Meyers were inseparable from the day they met in their first year at Ohio State.?
“We hit it off from day one,” Kroeger said. “We had so much in common. I have a golden retriever and a mutt at home, and he has two labs. The labs were [named] Walter [White] and Jesse [Pinkman], after ‘Breaking Bad.’ So, we immediately hit it off.”?
Kroeger said friends of Meyers wore his jerseys to the fundraiser to honor him.?
“[Meyers] played baseball on the [club] baseball team,” Kroeger said. “Every jersey you see here is one he had. He had like 50. It was like a hobby of his to collect jerseys, so we passed them all out.”
Adam Knaak, a fourth-year in accounting and friend of Meyers, said he was the first new friend he made at Ohio State. The two met on the club baseball team.
“He’s just always smiling, always happy [and] genuinely a good person,” Knaak said.?
Knaak said Meyers’ friendships were universal, and the fundraisers’ attendance reflected that.
“We got club baseball people here, we have roommates, we have other people [and] we have like friends of friends,” Knaak said. “It’s awesome to be able to come out and kind of support him and raise money for a good cause.”?
Kroeger said his friendship with Meyers was unlike any other.?
“[Meyers] was probably the best friend I’ve ever had,” Kroeger said. “He was a very caring person. He would listen like no other person would. I feel like I was able to share a lot about myself, where a lot of people wouldn’t know things about me. He knew me better than everybody just because he would continue to ask questions. He was curious, and that’s why everyone loved him.”?
Meyers’ friends chose to host the fundraiser in collaboration with The Library Bar to celebrate his love for the establishment.?
“We would always come here for Beat the Clock on Fridays,” Kroeger said. “We would always come sit on these tables outside and have a good time with our friends.”?
Reed Kroeger (center left) and Will Meyers (center right) pose with friends in Ohio State merch. Credit: Curtesy of Reed Kroeger
Kroeger said the idea for the fundraiser was inspired by a desire to keep the people in Meyers’ life connected and his legacy alive.?
“When the tragedy happened, it was really comforting for all of us to share stories and be around each other,” Kroeger said. “We had a few dinners like this at our house for weeks after, and I got people telling me [that] they always felt so much better when they would have those events. They felt like he was still there with them. We want to make sure that [Meyers] is never forgotten, and we’re never gonna stop telling stories about him [or] saying his name.”?
In discussing mental health awareness, Knaak said students are often surrounded by a larger support system than they are aware of.?
“Mental health is a big struggle, especially in college when you’re growing up, and growing up is scary,” Knaak said. “There’s so many people that care about you.”
Kroeger echoed this thought and said students should never be afraid to reach out.?
“Any problem he had, [Meyers] would solve by himself before he took it to anyone else,” Kroeger said. “If you’re at Ohio State, you have a great network of people. People want to help you. You just have to be okay with using that. It’s so hard to ask for help sometimes, but if you can do that, you’re stronger than you think.”?
A portion of the profits made from the purchases of Surfside products were donated to the Christina and Ryan Day Fund, Allen said, and the event raised more than $6,000. Owners of The Library Bar rounded up the amount raised to $1,000 — making the total donated more than $7,100 across the entire event.?
Allen said he hopes to use his platform to continue to spread positivity through events such as the fundraiser.
“It’s just great to see people in the right frame of mind moving forward, because it’s easy to get lost in the darkness of it,” Allen said. “It’s being able to bring the light out of it and bring people together [that matters].”?
In reflecting on what his friendship with Meyers meant to him, Kroeger said he will continue to honor him each day.?
“[Meyers] had the biggest heart,” Kroeger said. “He was so caring. He would always think of other people in ways that I never imagined. He truly just thought of others before himself, and everyone knew it. Everyone loved him for it. He would light up the room every time you saw him.”
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, visit your nearest Emergency Room or call 911. The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline can be reached at 988. The National 24/7 Suicide Hotline is 800-784-2433. For the 24/7 free and confidential Crisis Text Line, text “4HOPE” to 741-741. If you are in a crisis or have an urgent need, call Ohio State’s Counseling and Consultation Services at 614-292-5766 to speak with a therapist.
