McDonalds Representative Spencer Llopis presents a check to OU Army ROTC while Cadet Paul Whaley presents over $2,000 in football memorabilia to Project Linus chapter coordinator Tasha Stefanatos. Photo by Clint Sloan.

An OU student gave an estimated $2,000 in football memorabilia autographed by OU Heisman trophy winners to a local charity at the Armory on Tuesday.

Criminology senior and Army ROTC member Paul Whaley gave the high-priced memorabilia to Project Linus, a non-profit organization aimed at distributing blankets to children in need, OU Army ROTC officer Cpt. Brian Lusty said.

Whaley won the memorabilia by participating in a raffle-ticket sale to help with renovations to the Armory, where OU Army ROTC is located.

Tasha Stefanatos, Central Oklahoma Project Linus chapter coordinator, said she bought 110 raffle tickets in order to win the memorabilia to help the organization, with Paul Whaley only purchasing 10 tickets. She said she was surprised to hear Whaley’s decision to give the memorabilia to her organization.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Stefanatos said. “I was very grateful.”

Stefanatos said the gift will help Project Linus provide blankets to children in need, in which the organization will deliver them to institutions such as Norman Regional Hospital and the Oklahoma Department of Human Services.

Whaley said he did not mind giving the memorabilia to an organization such as Project Linus because it benefits the community.

“I didn’t really expect to win, and I knew they really wanted it,” Whaley said.

The ticket sale was organized by OU Army ROTC and sponsored by McDonalds.

“I approached my area supervisor in September and asked if he would be interested in sponsoring this for OU Army ROTC,” McDonalds Representative Spencer Llopis said. “They (McDonalds) helped print off tickets and also helped with ticket sales.”

Llopis said he and Robert Childs, Cleveland County Democratic campaign manager, asked OU Heisman Trophy winner Steve Owens to sign several memorabilia for the raffle, in which he agreed.

Lusty said it was amazing how the ticket sale started with Owens agreeing to sign the memorabilia, then McDonald’s sponsoring the raffle, and then Whaley winning the raffle, giving his winnings to Project Linus.

“It’s about people helping out each other, which I think makes a cool story,” Lusty said.

Project Linus Info:

• Project Linus was named after the security blanket-toting character from the Peanuts comic strip.

• Project Linus began in December 1995 after Karen Loucks was inspired to make blankets for her local children’s cancer center.

• Project Linus is a 100% volunteer non-profit organization with the headquarters located in Bloomington, Ill.

• Over 400 chapters of Project Linus exist nationally, with more than 2,000,000 blankets donated to children.