The Ohio capital city of Columbus is named after Christopher Columbus who "sailed the ocean blue in 1492" and discovered a whole new world. There are 23 other cities and towns in the United States named after the sea faring explorer but none bigger than Columbus, Ohio, and its citizens numbering more than 800,000.
The statue (at left) has stood in the statehouse grounds since 1932.
Columbus (the city) is home to one of the largest universities in the country -- Ohio State University with almost 60,000 students. Anna's mother Kathy was a professor at OSU for a number of years.
The superlatives and the Anna-ties continue as Columbus is the corporate home for one of America's most well known insurance companies -- Nationwide Insurance, a tremendously generous corporate citizen of the city and the nation. Philanthropy and volunteerism are an integral part of the company's culture. Last week, NFL star Peyton Manning, one of Anna's favorite players dating back to his University of Tennessee days, announced a long term partnership with the company, saying that Nationwide is "a company that puts people first." To that end, United Way, Feeding America food banks, the Red Cross, and Nationwide Children's Hospital are just a few of the organizations that have benefitted from the generosity of Nationwide Insurance and its 31,000 employees. Among the thousands of associates at Nationwide's downtown offices is Anna's father David.
The following is dedicated to the Nationwide associates who enjoy the great taste of Dr Pepper even when working after hours.
http://youtu.be/6a2lsKgYbLA