A horrific crime leads to a series of scholarships. A tragic fire produces financial assistance for student athletes. A commitment to the armed forces leads to an employment endeavor.
When events in and around Columbus strike people close to home, their responses can result in valuable opportunities for individuals who’ve faced difficulties of their own. That’s been the focus of a vast number of charitable and philanthropic endeavors throughout the city of Columbus and the state of Ohio.
The Reagan Delaney Tokes Memorial Foundation
Photo courtesy of Reagan Delaney Tokes Memorial Foundation
The February 2017 kidnapping, rape and murder of 21-year-old The Ohio State University student Reagan Tokes sent shockwaves through central Ohio and beyond.
The awful crime has continued to reverberate as a wrongful death lawsuit brought by Reagan’s family raised questions as to why her murderer had the freedom to commit the crime in the first place. But the family has also worked to keep Reagan’s spirit alive through community efforts.
“We knew immediately that we had to do something positive out of something that’s so negative,” says Lisa McCrary-Tokes, Reagan’s mother.
To that end, the family established the Reagan Delaney Tokes Memorial Foundation with the goal of providing scholarships to OSU students – appropriate, Lisa says, given Reagan’s commitment to her education, appreciation of the opportunities she had and her love of helping others.
It was also important to the family that their efforts in Reagan’s name raise awareness of the dangers in our society, and teach people how to react if they find themselves in a dangerous situation. Thus, Rally for Reagan was born, with the inaugural event taking place in June in Maumee. The rally featured a tennis tournament – Reagan played varsity tennis all four years of high school – as well as a fundraising dinner, silent auction and self-defense program.
We knew immediately that we had to do something positive out of something that’s so negative.
Proceeds go toward scholarships for OSU students who apply. The foundation is working on a set of parameters and a more formal process, Lisa says.
The next rally in Maumee is set for March 15-16, while the first-ever Columbus rally will take place Feb. 15-16 at the Renaissance Columbus Downtown Hotel. Feb. 15 is the dinner – featuring a silent auction, celebrity guests and motivational speaker Tim Kight – while Feb. 16 focuses on self-defense, with a program by self-defense regimen SDI7 HIIT, and advice and statistics from the Grove City Police Department.
The foundation also funds independent self-defense and self-awareness programs, including a June program in Grove City, and is working on implementing an ongoing program on the OSU campus.
Al’s Clinics
Photo courtesy of Al's Clinics
Still part of Columbus’ cultural memory is the spring 2003 arson that killed five OSU students.
One of the victims was Sandusky native Alan Schlessman, but his memory lives on through Al’s Clinics, a program started by his parents, John and Lori Schlessman, for the benefit of young athletes. In addition to being a top athlete in high school and college – as well as playing tennis and basketball, Alan was a state high school golf champion – he loved to work with young people, so it was only fitting that the program combine his two passions, John says.
Between equipment and fees, it can be expensive to play sports at the collegiate level, so Al’s Clinics raises money for scholarships to help student athletes afford the cost of participation. More than 70 people have benefited from scholarships since the program started in 2003, while others have been helped with equipment purchases.
“I believe, if a person goes to the right sport or the right extracurricular activity, it can have a positive effect,” says John.
In addition to donations, Al’s Clinics has raised money through tennis competitions, including the annual Bloor-Ortner Memorial Tournament, which enters its 10th year in 2019. And it has also held athletic camps, including one featuring an appearance from Big Ten golf champion – and one of Alan’s OSU teammates – Kevin Hall.
Suits for Soldiers
Photo courtesy of Suits for Soldiers
Jim Rieser – vice president of U.S. sales for custom clothier Hunter & Lords, with local offices in the University District – is preparing to wrap up his fourth Suits for Soldiers campaign, providing custom-made suits to returning members of the armed forces.
Armed forces members returning from active duty often run into difficulty applying for civilian jobs. Rieser helps a handful of local veterans by preparing them to look professional for interviews – going “from deployment to employment,” as he puts it. This year, he invested about $15,000 in custom duds for eight people.
“All eight of them are receiving a custom-made suit, a custom-made shirt and a custom-made tie,” he says.
Rieser puts out a call for deserving members of the armed forces in the spring, reading their stories and eventually winnowing down the number. The selected individuals then go through a fitting process that ends with getting their suits on Veterans Day.
In addition to military service, Rieser looks at personal circumstances to choose the program’s recipients. As an example, he chose a Marine who went from protecting his family from an abusive father to protecting his country.
“It’s not all about combat experience,” Rieser says. “It’s about hardship and the families they come from before the military.”
Garth Bishop is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
