Bobcats Take Care campaign bringing OHIO family together while addressing student needs

 

Bobcats take care: These three simple words define the character and spirit of the Ohio University community. They are also the inspiration for a new campaign that is bringing the Bobcat family together while we remain apart in order to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

As necessary coronavirus (COVID-19) protections requiring physical distancing are in place at Ohio University and in our communities, OHIO has created an online space dedicated to supporting, connecting and engaging Bobcat alumni and students in ways that are meaningful and address immediate needs.

Ohio University’s Bobcats Take Care campaign, spearheaded by the Division of University Advancement and the Office of Annual Giving, is an online platform for Bobcats near and far to support and connect with one another in word and deed.

“Ohio University is ending its 2020 spring semester in an unprecedented way, shifting to a remote and online learning environment and cancelling, postponing or converting to virtual settings all University, alumni and donor events through April 30 for the health of safety of our entire community,” said Nico Karagosian, vice president of University Advancement and president and CEO of The Ohio University Foundation. “Though we are separated by distance, our Bobcat family remains united – in our commitment to each other, to our dreams and goals, and to this transformative community that will forever bind us to one another.”

The Bobcats Take Care campaign offers several pathways for OHIO alumni to interact with one another and the students following in their footsteps, including:

Sharing a message

• Share videos, photos and/or written messages of support and comfort on social media using #BobcatsTakeCare and visiting ohio.edu to see the collection of those messages in real time.
• Send words of encouragement and well wishes to graduating seniors whose spring Commencement ceremonies have been postponed to alumniengagement@ohio.edu.

Making a gift

• Make a philanthropic gift to the newly created COVID-19 Ohio University Student Emergency Fund, which will be used to address the immediate needs of students on OHIO’s Athens and regional campuses who are experiencing financial hardships as a result of COVID-19 and necessary COVID-19 response measures. These funds will be distributed to students in the form of microgrants, which will not require repayment, to alleviate short-term financial needs such as technology related to distance learning, books and other instructional expenses, housing, rent, utilities, food, and childcare.

Engaging in the Bobcat Mentorship Network

• Sign up to participate in the Bobcat Mentorship Network, an online platform that provides OHIO students and graduates a meaningful way to learn from and encourage one another in a professional setting.

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No matter our location, all Bobcats are bound by a spirit that calls us to take care. I want to thank each and every member of our community for the things you are doing and, for many, the sacrifices you are making in the midst of unexpected and extraordinary circumstances,” said Ohio University President M. Duane Nellis, who delivered a March 19 video message to OHIO alumni. “These are days we aren’t likely to ever forget, but I know that our memories of this period in world history will be filled with stories of Bobcat spirit, compassion, gratitude and resilience – and that Bobcats will once again take care.”

In a video message he shared in support of the Bobcats Take Care campaign, Ohio University junior Donnell Baker encouraged his fellow students to help one other in the days and weeks that lie ahead.

“One thing that I am doing to help protect and support others during this crisis is sharing resources, love, encouragement as well as support,” Baker said. “I encourage you to share support, encouragement and positivity. #BobcatsTakeCare.”

Since the Bobcats Take Care campaign launched on March 19, nearly 170 individuals, including OHIO alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends from coast to coast, have donated almost $25,000 to assist students and keep them on their path to graduation. The campaign will continue through the end of the University’s spring semester.

Recognizing the necessity of pivoting fundraising efforts to address the immediate needs of the University’s most impacted students while bringing the OHIO community together, the Bobcats Take Care campaign is being held in lieu of Ohio University’s second annual Giving Day, which was planned for April 7.

For more information on the Bobcats Take Care campaign, please visit this webpage.

Stayed tuned to the Ohio University Alumni Association’s Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts for up-to-date information on opportunities to stay connected and engaged to one another as well as to celebrate OHIO’s Class of 2020.

For information regarding the University’s COVID-19 action plan and response, visit www.ohio.edu/coronavirus.