COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Two former Ohio State football players made an appearance at the Ohio Statehouse in hopes of growing their after-school program.

Former OSU players Braxton Miller and Devier Posey testified in front of the Ohio Senate Finance Committee Friday afternoon. They asked senators for $800,000 in the state budget to help grow their after-school program called Empower Youth Wellness and Enrichment.

Currently, the program is in seven of Ohio’s 88 charter Excel schools. Posey said the money would be used to expand the program to more schools and allow for transportation and new staff.

“It creates jobs, more important than anything, it’s creating solutions for after-school problems. If we’re matching up with what the state is trying to do and their points and we’re serving their paying points, I think it could be the start of a good relationship,” Posey said.

Miller also weighed in on the importance of the program.

“This is very important for local communities and kids who really don’t have this type of structure in their day-to-day life,” Miller said.

The state will pass the budget by the end of June, and the Ohio Senate will be making changes to it early next week.