Martha Morehouse lot parking for football games has a donation price that goes towards patients at the medical center. Credit : Brandy Fairfax | Lantern Reporter

Football game-day parking has gone from chaotic to charitable at the Ohio State Martha Morehouse Outpatient Care facility on Kenny Road.

The Martha Morehouse lot offers parking for every home football game this season in exchange for a $20 donation that goes towards patient treatment and research.

“It’s to help patient care, different types of research, which can be basic, clinical or translational research and the educational mission,” Laura Robinson, senior director of development at the Wexner Medical Center, said.

The proceeds this year support the Jameson Crane Sports Medicine Institute projects, which include a concussion project and the Tactical Athlete Rehabilitation and Conditioning Program, Debbie Christopher, service board president at the medical center, said.

Robinson said donations for the tactical athlete program provide training for first responders, law enforcement and military personnel as well as rehabilitation following job-related injuries, while the concussion project benefits local high school athletic trainers in the Columbus area.

“For the concussions, it’s money to purchase both iPads as well as software to track these concussions,” Robinson said.

Robinson said the data from this software will be saved for future research on this type of trauma.

Christopher said when the Morehouse has clinics on Saturdays, it uses the closest lots for patients and the lots on the side and back of the building for people attending football games.

The lots are regulated by CampusParc and are the same price as other game-day lots, Christopher said. On average, there are 400 to 500 spots filled, but there are still spaces available as they are never completely occupied.

The lot is typically open four hours prior to kickoff and is located at 2050 Kenny Road.