Donna has strutted down the bricks for 10 consecutive Moms Weekends, often walking her familiar path from Red Brick Tavern to Burrito Buggy, which often sits on corner of Court and Union streets.
This year, she came to Athens for her grandson, David Evancho, an Ohio University junior studying management information systems and marketing. On Saturday, “Grandma D” sat on the porch swing of the Palmer Street house, drinking Old Milwaukee alongside her four grandsons. The family played beer pong and cornhole under a sign reading “Grandma Donna’s 10th OU Moms Weekend” while waiting for the grandsons to finish grilling burgers and hot dogs.
For a brief two years — from 1958-1960 — Donna actually lived in Athens with her husband and a young Debbie Mosser, one of her daughters who now accompanies Donna for Moms Weekends.
The Moms Weekend tradition in the family began in 2005 when Donna, 76, visited for Moms Weekend along with her daughters, Doree Evancho and Debbie — neither of whom attended OU. Debbie’s son, Jess Mosser, a previous Post contributor, was studying journalism at the time.
Since then, Doree’s son, Stephen Evancho, and Debbie’s second son, Trent Mosser, have graduated from OU in 2009 and 2011, respectively.
The only tradition-breaker was Doree’s second son, Michael Evancho, a 2011 Ohio State University graduate.
Donna has traveled about 90 minutes each time from Cambridge, Ohio, and this Saturday was no exception.
Donna, her two daughters, four grandsons and several family friends gathered at 19A Palmer St. to celebrate and plan for what might possibly be Donna’s last OU Moms Weekend next year, when David will be a senior.
“I have fond memories of (OU),” Donna said. “I really love it.”
But Donna’s Moms Weekend streak was almost cut short when David originally accepted Baldwin Wallace University’s offer to play football. When the football season ended, David realized he wanted to attend OU.
“It’s always been OU, I guess,” David said.
David transferred to OU after his first term at Baldwin Wallace, but his family wasn’t surprised.
“Behind (his) back, we always said he has to come here for school,” Doree said.
After 10 years, specific traditions haven’t formed, other than heading Uptown for a few drinks and to the Burrito Buggy for a late-night snack no matter how intoxicated they are, Donna said.
“I’ve gone home after a weekend down here, and when I unpack my clothes they’re covered with burrito,” Donna said.
The family went to Skipper’s — now Jackie O’s Pub & Brewery — during its first Moms Weekend in 2005. Now, Red Brick is “our bar,” Donna said. She even once sneaked some gin into the bar and served her grandsons from the bottle in her purse.
Donna, Debbie and Doree knew a Red Brick owner from Cambridge, but as the years went on, bartenders and patrons began also recognizing them.
“When we would go back to the Red Brick all the time, people knew my mom,” Debbie said. “They remembered us from Moms Weekends before.”
After Doree made it on the front page of the Athens News dancing on a table at Red Brick for their first Moms Weekend, the family commissioned a News photographer, who was a classmate of Jess’, to take photos of them Uptown.
Dancing on tables was not the only way the family got noticed Uptown. In 2007, Gander ran for Cambridge City Council, so she and her daughters made 35 red shirts for their sons and friends that read “Vote for Grandma Donna.”
Donna’s shirt read “I’m Grandma Donna,” and even though she wasn’t in her own voting district, she became the most popular candidate.
“I would have people (in Athens) say ‘I’ll vote for you, I’ll vote for Grandma Donna,’ so that was fun,” Donna said.
She won the election and served four years on Cambridge City Council after having been city auditor for 20 years, she said.
The family’s dads visit for Dads Weekend, and the entire bunch was last together for Jess’ bachelor party during Palmer Fest 2012.
The grandsons didn’t just come together for family weekends, either. Trent and Steve lived two doors apart on Palmer Street, and David strived to inherit Palmer 19A after Steve graduated.
Once David graduates, Donna isn’t sure she’ll be back to OU to party.
Donna also has memories of Athens from those years she lived here in the late ’50s, but what really makes the place is her grandsons.
“I just love when my boys are here together and have a good time,” Donna said.
“I wouldn’t trade them for anything — except for the one who went to Ohio State.”
@Daniellerose84
dk123111@ohiou.edu
This article appeared in print under the headline "Grand(Moms) Weekend"
