Gladden Community House is bringing the Ohio State University Marching Band back to Franklinton for a private performance benefiting the neighborhood's children, families and seniors. The 18th annual Marching for More fundraiser is set for Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, in Columbus, giving guests an up-close experience with the band that has partnered with Gladden since 2009.
NBC4 is sponsoring the fundraiser, according to NBC4 WCMH-TV, which reports that this year's event marks a record-setting 17th year for the partnership between the band and the community house. Tickets for the 2026 event can be purchased through the Gladden House website, with proceeds supporting the organization's year-round programs and services.
A Century-Old Mission on Columbus' Near-West Side
Gladden Community House serves Franklinton and Columbus' near-west side with programs that include team sports, early childhood education, afterschool and summer programming, senior outreach, and other community-based services for children, families and older adults. The organization traces its roots to 1905, when it was founded as a neighborhood settlement house by Social Gospel pioneer Rev. Dr. Washington Gladden, according to the City of Columbus, giving the organization more than 120 years of history in the neighborhood.
The nonprofit is currently led by Joe Gottron, who was appointed the 12th President and CEO of Gladden Community House in April 2024, succeeding Nick Bankston after a tenure focused on expanding rent assistance and tuition-free early education, according to Gladden Community House. Gottron joined the organization following executive leadership roles at Heartland Bank and Cardinal Health.
Why the Fundraiser Matters in Franklinton
The stakes behind the fundraiser are significant. A 2024 health disparity study found that South Franklinton had a 62% poverty rate and an average life expectancy of just 60 years — the lowest in Ohio — compared to an 80-year life expectancy across the Scioto River in the neighboring Brewery District, per Scioto Analysis. Census data analyzed in September 2025 also showed Franklinton's median household income stood at $46,911 in 2024, lagging significantly behind Columbus's broader metropolitan figures, according to Point2Homes.
Gladden's fundraising partnership with the OSU Marching Band has a track record of real financial impact. Federal court records filed in 2014 showed the band's annual performance for Gladden's fundraiser generated over $125,000 in a single year for the nonprofit's community operations, according to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. The Columbus Foundation's Center for HumanKindness also awarded inaugural $10,000 prizes to five Central Ohio settlement houses.
A Neighborhood Transformed Since the Floodwall
Franklinton looks very different today than it did when Gladden's band partnership began in 2009. The neighborhood's modern redevelopment became possible after the 2004 completion of the $134 million, 7-mile Franklinton Floodwall, which officially removed the area from flood plain status and lifted decades of building restrictions, according to Wikipedia.
That shift has fueled a wave of new investment. In June 2026, developer Casto completed Phase 2 of its River & Rich project, opening 235 new market-rate and income-targeted apartments along West Rich Street, as Hoodline previously reported. In March 2026, the cleared former Spaghetti Warehouse site at 397 W. Broad St. was offered for sale with conceptual plans for 250 units, with owners explicitly targeting affordable housing developers. And in February 2026, startup incubator Rev1 Ventures launched its 43,000-square-foot Software Alley facility at The Peninsula, expanding the neighborhood's commercial tech footprint.
That backdrop of rapid change makes fundraisers like Marching for More more than a band showcase — the proceeds go toward keeping longtime Franklinton families stabilized even as the neighborhood around them transforms. Guests attending the Oct. 5 event will get an up-close look at the marching band's performance while supporting Gladden's core mission of serving children, families and seniors in the community it has called home for over a century.
