Smith, Day and Holtmann families to donate $175,000 to Mid-Ohio Foodbank

Griffin Strom
Tue, 07 Apr 2020 15:36:49 +0000
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Head coach Ryan Day talks into his headset in the first half of the 2019 Spring Game on April 13. Gray beat Scarlet 35-17. Credit: Casey Cascaldo | Managing Editor for Multimedia

COVID-19 continues to cause death, disarray and economic turmoil across the globe, but several Ohio State athletics families are taking steps to secure food for some Ohioans.

The families of athletic director Gene Smith, head football coach Ryan Day and head men’s basketball coach Chris Holtmann are partnering to contribute $175,000 to the Mid-Ohio Foodbank’s COVID-19 Emergency Fund, according to a press release Tuesday.

“So many people in our community are struggling to feed their families right now,” Smith said in the release. “Our families wanted to do something to support those who need help. By contributing to the Mid-Ohio Foodbank, we know we can make a significant impact.”

The three families will join to donate $35,000 per month between April and August, and for every dollar donated, the Mid-Ohio Foodbank secures $9 worth of groceries, according to the release. By that rate, the donations will help account for $1.5 million worth of groceries for Ohioans.

“We keep reading about the thousands of central Ohioans who are losing their jobs, and it’s just devastating,” Day’s wife Nina said in the release. “Ryan and I hope that our family can help ease the burden a bit for other families in our community. We hope, too, that by our example other members of Buckeye Nation might join us in making donations to feed others.”

Additional donations to the Mid-Ohio Foodbank can be made here.