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BUTLER COUNTY— She's a doctor now, but Diana Gilbert still remembers the day she was called to the office at Fairfield High School, the walk down the hallway, looking up and seeing baseball legend Joe Nuxhall smiling and holding out a check from the Joe Nuxhall Scholarship Fund. It was 1989.

In 1993, Margie Long was a senior

at Edgewood High School and the

recipient of a $1,000 Nuxhall scholarship which was presented at a banquet she remembers "vividly."

They are two of the thousands of lives that have been impacted by the philanthropy of the youngest player ever to hit the diamond: Fairfield resident and Hamilton native Joe Nuxhall.

Now, Nuxhall has a dream to reach thousands more through a new Children's Center for special needs kids at One Way Farm in Fairfield.

For $125 a person, $200 a couple or $800 a table, donors may attend a star-studded April 5 fundraiser at Jungle Jim's International Market in Fairfield. The Joe Nuxhall Hope Project wants to raise $7.5 million to build the center, and to fund four other "dreams" Joe has that will be his legacy: the Miracle League, in which disabled kids can play ball with Cincinnati Reds' help; The Laws of Life character education essay contest; the Joe Nuxhall Character Education Fund and the Joe Nuxhall Scholarship Fund.

Since its inception, more than $400,000 has been awarded to area students through the Scholarship Fund.

Gilbert said she remembers her presentation.

"It was really neat," she said. "They only gave five in the Cincinnati area. He actually came to school and they called me to the office and he was sitting there with a check."

Being a Reds' fan, "I knew who he was," she said. "It was a shock and a big honor."

She said receiving the scholarship included attending a golf outing fundraiser and eating with members of the Cincinnati Reds team.

"It was a great experience. They really made you feel good," she said. "Just that recognition gives you a lot of confidence to do something that maybe you would feel was out of your reach.

"It's the kind of recognition that makes you feel you can achieve your dreams."

Gilbert, a partner in a two-location optometry practice — Cincinnati Eye Care — said that Nuxhall's recognition made her want to do more and "make Joe proud.

"I am a firm believer that special events like these shape who you are and are motivation to do well and give back to others later."

Fred Valerius, Fairfield Rotary president and former Butler County MRDD superintendent, said he has witnessed a number of scholarship presentations.

"When they get that recognition — and certainly a scholarship is on a high level — it's amazing what that does to them internally," Valerius said. "When kids apply for scholarships, and they get that letter in the mail, it is not only a relief, they get a sense of accomplishment.

"And when that scholarship award is presented personally, it verifies not only that academic accomplishment, but also their worth as a person ... and when they get it from

Joe Nuxhall, that is even more special."

Long said she also remembers very "vividly" the afternoon of the presentation

luncheon of her scholarship check.

"I am the youngest of five, it was all of our responsibilities to put ourself through college. If we wanted to go to college, it was on us. I did my best through school to get good grades and strive for scholarships," Long said.

"I was very lucky to receive that scholarship; every penny counts and that was a big chunk. Being from Butler County, I of course knew about Joe and I remember very vividly that being a nice afternoon.

"We had a banquet at the Elks Club in the middle of the school day — which was nice to leave in the middle of a school day, especially for students who never cut class ... and then to be invited to cut class. Joe was there and talked to us. He had tears in his eyes, it was very heartwarming.

"High school kids tend not to get too emotional but after Joe talked, I looked around the room and everybody was just touched and smiling ear-to-ear, especially the guys.

"It was the last few weeks of high school and it ended my high school career very nicely and gave you hope for what was next. It was a good send off to college."

Long attended art school, and now is an art director at the Blue Ash firm DHA.

She said she has come "full circle." She designed the logo for the Joe Nuxhall Character Education Fund.

"That $1,000 scholarship was an investment," she said. "It put me through art school. I got to design the logo. I got to give back."

How to go

When: April 5

Where: The Oscar

Center at Jungle Jim's

International Market, Fairfield.

What: Silent auction,

special Reds appearances.

For tickets: Call (513) 984-1200

To donate: Joe Nuxhall Hope Project, c/o DHA, 9514 Kenwood Road, Cincinnati, OH 45242

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2158 or lebbing@coxohio.com.