The weekend of Feb. 5-7, siblings from central Ohio, Chicago, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton, Toledo, Warren, Youngstown and Pittsburgh will travel to Athens for Siblings Weekend on airplanes and buses sponsored by Ohio University Alumni Association chapters. Chapters have sponsored buses since 1969, providing a safe, convenient way for siblings to get to Athens for the weekend. The first buses were organized by Helen Matthews, AA '54, vice president of the OU Women's Club of Greater Cleveland, as a fund-raising endeavor. The Chicago chapter sponsored the first airborne Siblings Weekend trip in 1997, attracting 30 siblings from that area. The travel program has been streamlined over the past 30 years to include mailing information to parents, managing reservations, supplying transportation for siblings, providing bus chaperones and communicating the schedule to students.
Chapters use proceeds from the trips to provide scholarships for students from their areas.
They provide the key transportation element. We can plan a calendar of events that is attractive to the siblings and to the students, but without the trips, we'd be hardpressed to have a successful weekend. Most buses travel nonstop to Athens. Parents are encouraged to provide children with a sack lunch for the Feb. 5 trip. It is highly recommended that parents talk to their Ohio University students prior to the visit to ensure that younger siblings are supervised throughout the visit.