Ohio State veterinary students got in the Valentine’s Day spirit by hosting a bake sale benefitting children facing surgery.

Iced chocolate cupcakes, slices of cinnamon bread, chocolate-covered pretzels and other sweets filled the bake sale table. Kara Berke and Jamie Berning, both third-years in the College of Veterinary Medicine at OSU, stood behind the table waiting for the next faculty member or student to be caught in their sweet snare.

Lawrence Mathes, an OSU veterinary professor, asked “Where is the low-fat stuff?” After looking at the selection, he settled for a cupcake.

Berke and Berning are co-chairs for the Ohio State Josh Project.

The organization has only 10 members, but it has lofty goals and expectations.

The Josh Project is a program conceived by the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Children’s Miracle Network.

The AVMA raises money to buy Josh kits, which include a stuffed animal “Josh” dog and a book titled “I’ll be OK.”

The goal of the kits is to “improve the lives of children going into surgery,” Berning said. “Hopefully, it helps them believe it’s not as bad as they think.”

OSU College of Veterinary Medicine’s Student Chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association donates its kits to the Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

The kits are sent to the hospital, where nurses distribute them to the children.

Berke and Berning have never been able to meet the kids because “you must go through extensive training just to be around them,” Berning said.

The OSU Josh members have received letters from the children and heard stories from nurses about children who cannot stop embracing their “Josh” dogs, Berke said.

From last year’s fundraising, the OSU chapter was able to purchase 196 kits, valued at $40 a kit.

“All of our fundraising money goes toward buying the kits, minus shipping and handling costs,” Berke said.

As an extra incentive to helping children, the SCAVMA hosts a symposium every March. At the symposium, other universities participating in fundraising for the Josh Project compete to see how much money they raised the past year.

“You don’t get anything for winning,” Berning said. “It’s more for pride, knowing that you helped the most kids.”

The OSU chapter hopes to win first place in 2009 after placing third in 2008. Western University placed first, raising about $10,000 or 250 kits.

Berke and Berning were asked to start the OSU Josh chapter three years ago, and they spent much of their first year planning how best to raise money.

Berke anticipated raising $200 from Thursday’s bake sale, but fell short, accumulating $125.

The next fundraising event will be Feb. 18 at Applebee’s on Ackerman Road from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Visit vet.osu.edu/JoshProject.htm for donation information.