Fundraising efforts pop up in Reagan Tokes’ name

Kevin Harrish
Sun, 12 Feb 2017 00:14:20 +0000
Campus, Crime, Local, National, featured, missing ohio state student, missing osu student, osu student murdered, reagan tokes

In the face of a loss of one of its own, the Ohio State community is rallying together to support the Tokes family following the death of Reagan Tokes on Wednesday.

One of the sources of support is a local campus dive bar where Tokes, a fourth-year in psychology, was a regular.

Too’s Spirits Under High announced on social media that it will host a fundraiser Tuesday night from 8 p.m. to close. All profits from the night’s sales will be donated to the Tokes family.

The bar’s owner, Scott Ellsworth, called the decision to hold the event a “no-brainer.”

View this post on Instagram

***Toos will be hosting a fundraiser next Tuesday from 8-close. We will donate 100% of all profits to the family of @reagantokes. Finding this picture of her was just so heartbreaking and wonderful at the same time and that's when we decided we need to do something. We understand money doesn't make this truly horrific event go away for her family in any way. Our only hope is that it helps take a tiny bit of stress away and shows her friends and family how much she means to The Ohio State community and that when times get tough we rally together. She was a big supporter of ours, so now it's time for us to support her friends and family during their time of need. Please share this!! #ripReagan #TellAFriend #asseenoncampus #asseenincolumbus #columbusunderground #columbusalive #ohiostate #onceatoosregularalwaysatoosregular

A post shared by Toos (@toosunderhigh) on Feb 10, 2017 at 8:05am PST

“I know the money’s not going to change anything,” Ellsworth said. “It’s not going to make anything better. But if it can do anything at all, it’s worth it.”

Ellsworth said the family is free to use the proceeds however they wish, but he knows it might help cover the cost of the unexpected memorial service.

“As a father myself, you don’t plan for a child’s funeral,” Ellsworth said.

Another bar, Oldfield’s North Fourth Tavern, is having a similar fundraiser for the Tokes family on Thursday, from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

“Go to the fundraiser at @toosunderhigh on Tuesday and come to our fundraiser for her family on Thursday during @excesssdave Karaoke,” a post on bar’s Instagram account reads. “Sing one of her favorite songs and know that she’s laughing with you!”

In addition to the two fundraisers, a college scholarship — available for use at any school — is being set up in Tokes’ name by Jake Hadley, a friend of Tokes. Hadley began a GoFundMe campaign Friday night and raised over $15,000 in less than 24 hours.

“Our goal is to raise $50,000 to create a scholarship in her honor,” Hadley stated in the campaign description. “This will give other hard working high school students a chance to attend the college of their dreams just like Reagan did.”

Hadley’s goal is to raise the entire sum —$50,000 — before Tokes’ funeral on Thursday.

There will be more opportunities for people to show their support in the near future.

“We are working on the ways on how people can help,” Makenzie Tokes, Reagan’s sister, said in a text message. “It will be released in the news.”

Ellsworth said he thinks a community rallying around this cause will be more special to Tokes’ family than anything tangible they could be given.

“I think that — more than the money — will mean a lot to them,” Ellsworth said. “That’s just what Ohio State does.”

Nick Roll contributed to this article.