A picture worthy of a thousand words, and your support

Taylor Kavanaugh and friends "Who says a great college athletics photo needs to be taken by a guy with AP credentials kneeling at the far end of a football field, basketball court, or dugout?” writes managing editor Brian Brooks in the Oct. 8 Beavers Official Sports Report.

He points to the photo at left of wide receiver Taylor Kavanaugh from the OSU senior's recent trip to Guatemala. Kavanaugh has been named to the 2009 Allstate Insurance Company and American Football Coaches Association's Good Works Team.

"It's hard not to be struck by the genuine nature of the photo — how genuinely happy Taylor seems to be in his work, and how genuinely giddy the little girls are to have him there," Brooks continues. Excerpts from his commentary follow, with permission.

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I reflected back on the image as I read the new A.D. Report. Director of athletics Bob De Carolis updated fans on the results of the annual Beaver Athletic Student Fund (BASF) campaign and 2009 football season ticket sales.… In the report, De Carolis drives home a key point — one that can easily be lost on fans and donors alike – when he writes:

We want to shift the dialogue from being transactional — money for tickets and a parking space — to philanthropic. In reality, donated dollars represent much more than prime stadium seating and parking spaces. These contributions fund scholarships and result in educational opportunities for our student-athletes.

…At the end of the day, season ticket holders and BASF donors aren't just paying for a good time or building winning athletic teams. What they are really doing is supporting hundreds of Everyday Champions who will leave Corvallis and take their A-game to more important playing fields in places far removed from the world of athletics.

Places like Guatemala.

If you still feel you need a few good reasons to support your OSU athletes, in spite of the tough economic times, here are the first three I can think of:

1. 2. 3.

Good man, Taylor.

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