Zettler True Value Hardware in Worthington is promoting Buckeye spirit and helping Franklin County students along the way.

The store is selling house keys emblazoned with the Ohio State logo and donating a dollar of the proceeds to the OSU Franklin County Alumni Club scholarship fund. The club gives away two $1,000 and two $2,500 scholarships every year to high school seniors planning to attend OSU.

Paul Linn, general manager of Zettler True Value Hardware, discovered the keys at a buying market he attends twice a year.

“I thought, ‘Oh those will sell’ and so I placed an order for OSU keys and Columbus Blue Jackets keys,” Linn said.

The keys began selling quickly and by Christmas people from all over the country began requesting them.

“A number of people bought the blanks and sent them off. We also had a lot of people send their relatives in Columbus to get their keys to be copied,” Linn said.

When one of the club’s board members bought a key and showed it to the rest of the board, Barbara Smith, the group’s president elect, came up with the idea.

“I thought this was a wonderful product and I said they were charging too little for anything Ohio State. Paul agreed to mark up the key to $3.99 and coded it in the computer system, so a dollar goes to the scholarship fund,” Smith said.

Linn explained why he agreed to the deal.

“My reason for involvement is really two-fold,” Linn said. “One is good public relations, and the other is that being from the class of ’79, I try to support the university and the alumni.”

The price change went into effect at the beginning of the year and the club has raised almost $200. They hope to raise at least $250 every quarter.

Smith encourages students to show their Buckeye spirit and help future Buckeyes.

“The keys are a fun way to recognize Ohio State and to give back to the university before they graduate,” said Smith.

Susan Parks, a sophomore in marketing, purchased a key for herself after spotting them at Zettler’s.

“I didn’t need an extra key, but I saw them and thought they were neat. When I was told a dollar of the purchase price went to a scholarship fund, I had to buy one,” Parks said.

Linn said Zettler’s campus location on 12th Avenue has not yet received the keys, but if there is enough of a demand he will ship a box.

The keys are available in two styles, but only for houses and apartments for $3.99. Keys are not available for cars.

Zettler True Value Hardware in Worthington is located at 661 N. High St. and can be contacted at 885-5146.