Over 190 Blankets Collected at OUZ Blanket Drive

ZANESVILLE, OH – This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Good Samaritan Blanket Drive at the Ohio University Zanesville campus.

The Blanket Drive has collected more than 7,000 blankets and raised 30,000 dollars for heating bills over the past three decades. The OUZ Student Nurse Association is honored to continue this tradition by delivering blankets to Eastside Community Ministry.

OUZ BSN student Chaunce Johnson shares his reason for taking part in the drive.

“It’s a big tradition and it’s nice to give to those who aren’t as fortunate. It’s great to give to those who don’t have blankets especially during this time,” Johnson said. “Think about when you go out to your car in the morning and you’re freezing then imagine not having a blanket in this kind of weather. That would be horrible.”

The junior BSN class were the winners of the blanket collection competition. Despite being the smallest class in the program, they are the biggest competitors. They were able to collect around 75 blankets for the cause.

OUZ BSN student Zoe Dodson said she’s glad to go to a school that gives back.

“It’s cool to be a part of it, to know that it’s a tradition they’ve been able to continue. I think it’s cool to be a part of a school focused on reaching out to the community rather than just staying in and being to ourselves. It really is important to keep everyone involved.”

Over 190 blankets were collected this year and while the drive did conclude on December 3rd there are still many ways to get out and support the community during this time of year.