Archie Griffin, president and CEO of the Ohio State University Alumni Association, a star football player for Ohio State University and the nation's only two-time Heisman Trophy winner, awarded The Ohio State University Sandhills Alumni Club with the association's highest award, the Gold Star Award, for 2008.

Club President Nancy Phelps and Game Day Chair Diana Sanders were presented a Sandhills Club Banner with its Gold Star at the university during the recent Alumni Leadership Conference in Columbus, Ohio.

The Sandhills Club serves the entire Sandhills region and has been in existence for one year, attaining a membership of 198. In its first year the club has been actively providing direct support to Wounded Warriors in Womack Army Medical Center, conducting community projects, participating in area community events, holding social outings, presenting a scholarship award to a local student attending Ohio State and meeting every game day during the last football season to watch the Buckeyes play ball.

During the presentation of this award the Sandhills Club was singled out for the unprecedented feat of being the first OSU club ever to win this prestigious award in its first year. The Sandhills Club was one of only five clubs to win the 2008 Gold Star honor that is vied for each year by the 122 Buckeye alumni clubs across the United States.

"It is a true honor to represent The Ohio State University and Ohio, the Buckeye state," said Phelps. "There are many Buckeyes in the Sandhills area, and we actively recruit all interested fans to join in our Buckeye spirit to make the North Carolina Sandhills a better place for everyone who lives here. You don't have to be an OSU graduate to join. You just have to be an enthusiastic Buckeye fan."

The club meets at two locations to watch each OSU Football Game: the previous Mint Juleps facility on Hall Street in Southern Pines, and at Beef O'Brady's on Hay Street in Fayetteville.

For more information on the Ohio State University Sandhills Alumni Club, go to www.sandhillsbuckeyes.net.