Letter and Notes
- from Joe Hahn

On Saturday I attended the Ohio State verse Minnesota football game. You have to understand this was not just a football game it was not just a college game. I have been an Ohio State Football fan since my freshman year of high school. I have not always been as obnoxious I am now. I use to be a Cleveland Brown fan and spent/wasted more time watching, learning and talking about them. Art Model moved the Browns from Cleveland to Baltimore in the middle of the night and since I have paid much more attention to college football. I remember Woody Hayes I remember Ohio State winning the national championship in 1968 I have lived through many Rose Bowl wins and losses. I LOVE it when we ( Ohio State) or anyone beats Michigan. I suffered through the John Cooper years and every time we loss to Michigan I remembered him saying “ Michigan is just another game.” If you are an Ohio State Football fan Michigan is not just another game. Beating Michigan can turn a terrible year into a great year! If you go 1 and 9 and the one win is against Michigan that is a good year.

The reason that Ohio State caught my admiration goes back to a class mate I had in High School. Charlie Pater played for Hamilton Garfield in the mid to late 1960’s He was one of the best players I have ever watched. He received a full ride scholarship to play football at Ohio State. Charlie was two years ahead of me in school, so it was my sophomore year that he graduated and I remember that Coach Florio said that if any of the players he had coached in his career as a high school coach, could play pro football it would be Charlie. Because I knew Charlie I became interested in Ohio State Football and have been a fan since 1966.

Until this past Saturday I have never been to the Horseshoe to watch a game. I had never seen the team take the field live. I had never seen the Ohio State band do script OHIO. I am glad that I can now say that I have seen in person the number one rated team in the nation and one of the best bands if not the best in all of college sports. I was impressed to be among 105,433 people to watch the Buckeyes beat the Gophers 44-0.

I tell you all of this so that I can say this. The seat I occupied cost thirty dollars. I understand that my friend who granted me the ticket could have sold this seat for 50, 70 or maybe even 100 dollars. My friend is faced with knowing that she could sell her seat to the Michigan game for 1,000 dollars or more. I am not a math major but 30 times 105,433 equal 3,162,990 so let’s go on to the Michigan game 1,000 times 105,433…. Well you get the idea. There is a lot of money spent on college football.

We are very excited to be bringing Angel Food Ministry to Bridgetown. We have told you about this opportunity for the last couple of weeks and have been very encouraged by the response that we have received. Over 70 people signed up to help on the first Sunday that we offered that opportunity. As we have said, you can purchase enough food for a family of four, to eat one week for 25 dollars. That is five dollars less than my seat at the game cost. If you are willing to by four units, $100, you can feed a family of four for a month. This is great that we can offer our church family this much savings. I think that it is a going to benefit all of us to be able to purchase groceries for our families at such a reduced price. Now I want to you to think a step past yourself. There are families in our area that can not afford to by groceries for themselves. They live one day at a time, existing on the bare minimum, not able to buy meat or extras. Single parents and elderly living on a fixed income, not knowing where their next meal is coming from or even if they are going to be able to eat. This ministry will give you, us a chance to reach out to those people and provide a weeks worth of food for less than a seat at a college football game.

Earlier I was talking about Charlie Pater. He attended Ohio State for one year. He played football for them for one year. He left after that first year and returned home to never play football for a college team or pro team. He was not injured nor did he have to leave school because of grades. Charlie knew something about life that some never learn. There are more important things in life than sports or money. Charlie left Ohio State and became a full time student at Cincinnati Bible College. When Coach Florio heard this he shook his head and said what a waste of talent. When I think about this I think that Charlie knew at the young age 18 or 19 that God had a plan for his life and that if he did not listen he would be missing out on changing the eternity of many people. I have no idea how many lives Charlie has touched since 1967, but I know that he touched mine by me knowing what decision he made and why he made that decision. He chose to serve God first. That is what I hope we do with Angle Food. Serve God, reach out with his love and allow Him to work through us to reach and love our community.

Go Buckeyes and God Bless……

Joe Hahn