053011 Students gift prompts visit from OSU president
By Sharon Haught
May 22, 2011
492
Summary: A very special donation to the fund to renew Secrest Arboretum by the students of the Montessori School of Wooster, prompted a very special person to thank them in person.
From the time children can barely speak their parents teach them that words like excuse me, please and thank you are some of the most important words they can say.
Ohio State University President Gordon Gee took those early lessons to heart when the students from the Montessori School of Wooster collected and donated $300 to the relief fund for Secrest Arboretum.
But for Gee a simple thank you note just wasnt enough.
Instead he visited the school on May 19 to thank the students for their efforts in person.
For a half hour Gee met with the Montessori School student body and fielded questions from the students on a wide range of topics.
When one student asked Gee which gift to the university from a community has been most meaningful Gee responded by noting that he has spent the last 31 years as the president of a university including West Virginia University, University of Colorado, Brown University, Vanderbilt University and Ohio State University.
Through it all, this single act of kindness from students who care deeply about their community may go down as one of the most meaningful.
I think the most meaningful gifts to universities are ones that are done because people really care. This is one of those special gifts, said Gee.
People who care and believe they can make a difference is very meaningful, said Gee adding we get lots of money from donors but those from people who care are the most meaningful.
According to Sarah Johnson, Director of Development for OARDC and ATI, it was Montessori School student Sarah Downer who came up with the idea of the students raising money for the Secrest Arboretum restoration fund after seeing the devastation caused when a powerful tornado tore through the OARDC campus on September 16, 2010.
Because a number of Montessori School families work at OARDC and because the students often use Secrest Arboretum for field trips the students decided they wanted to raise money to help renew the Arboretum, said Johnson.
They broke open piggy banks and brought in handfuls of change, said Johnson.
When the totals were in the students had raised $300.12.
When Gee scheduled a trip to the OARDC/ATI campus we thought of no better way to spend some of his time than to come out here and be with the students and tell them how important their contributions were to the Arboretum, said Johnson.
To see their commitment is really important to us and really important to the President so we were really happy he was able to be here today, said Johnson.
He wanted to come out and make sure that he thanked them for everything they did because thats the kind of guy he is and thats the kind of thing thats important to Ohio State, said Johnson.
Gee also took the opportunity to invite the students to a special celebration that is planned for the first anniversary of the tornado - September 16, 2011.
Johnson noted that the day of renewal celebration will include events for faculty and staff, for the community and for our donors.
Ohio State University is continuing to accept donations for a special fund set up by the university last year to help raise money to restore Secrest Arboretum.
Those interested in contributing to the fund can send a tax deductable contribution to the Ohio State University Office of Development, 1625 Wilson Road, Wooster, Ohio 44691 or donate online at www.giveto.osu.edu. Donors should specify that they wish for their contribution to be made to the Secrest Arboretum Fund (Fund Number 308772).
