For Gene Smith, vice president and director of athletics for The Ohio State University, giving back has long been a major priority.
“You hear it all the time: ‘To whom much is given, much is expected,’” Smith says. “As a student-athlete, I knew I was fortunate. I was blessed.”
Smith has done philanthropic work all throughout his life, whether as an athlete, coach or athletic director (he’s won national championships in football in each of those three roles, for what it’s worth). That work continues today through his involvement with OSU and in collaboration with his wife, Sheila, through the Sheila and Gene Smith Fund.
But Smith’s commitment to paying it forward dates back much further, to the examples set by his family.
“My parents were always people who tried to give back and help people,” he says. “It was really something that I witnessed with them.”
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During Smith’s time at the University of Notre Dame, where he played defensive end from 1973 to 1977, those values continued, as he and his team were encouraged to find opportunities to contribute to the broader community.
Through his role with OSU, where he’s held the athletic director position since 2005, Smith has been able to advocate for specific initiatives, often working to prepare student-athletes for futures beyond the playing field.
Much of that falls under the Eugene D. Smith Leadership Institute, which works to prepare athletes for life after graduation with leadership, character and career development opportunities. There, Smith has implemented programs such as Bucks Go Pro, where athletes are placed into internships to build their resumes and gain hands-on experience in their career field.
“It’s been great to create programs in the athletic department where you can help athletes find careers,” he says. “We always try to find a space where we can help young people develop and chase those dreams.”
Other initiatives have included BuckeyesCare, a program highlighting community work by student-athletes and coaches with a focus on fitness, wellness, education and public service; and Smith’s participation in OSU LiFEsports events, which use sports to prepare youth for life and leadership.
The Sheila and Gene Smith Fund has a broader reach and allows the couple to turn their philanthropic efforts toward some of their most valued causes, such as OSU, the King Arts Complex and the Columbus Museum of Art.
“We try and be helpful to those things in the community where we have a deep passion,” Smith says. “I think it’s important for people who have the opportunity.”
In spring 2020, the Smiths, seeing an immediate need for help in the community as the impacts of COVID-19 set in, partnered with OSU football head coach Ryan Day and his wife, Nina, as well as OSU basketball head coach Chris Holtmann and his wife, Lori, to provide rapid support.
“We were having a conversation about the pandemic and how we might be able to help,” Smith says. “At that point in time, food was a big issue. It’s still a big issue.”
The group committed to donating $35,000 a month from April through August to the Mid-Ohio Foodbank’s COVID-19 Emergency Fund. Those donations, which totaled $175,000, were expected to allow the Mid-Ohio Foodbank to purchase $1.5 million worth of groceries, as the organization can obtain $9 worth of groceries for every $1 donated.
That action exemplifies Smith’s commitment to using the great opportunities he's been given to positively impact the communities around him. Whether providing direct support or teaching youth to do the same, Smith hopes his efforts can provide inspiration to others.
“You try your best to keep (philanthropic efforts) in front of people,” he says. “To keep talking about it is important.”
Cameron Carr is the associate editor. Feedback welcome at ccarr@cityscenemediagroup.com.
