News Release
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Alumni Relations
320 DuPont Highway
New Castle, DE
19720
alumni@wilmu.edu
Supporting Delawareans with DisABILITIES is a Family Affair
Wilmu Alumni Wildcat is a Blue-Gold All-Star
Saturday, June 22, 2013 the Delaware Foundation Reaching Citizens with Intellectual DisABILITIES (DFRC) hosted the 58th Annual Blue-Gold All*Star Football Game in Newark, DE.
This non-profit organization was founded in 1956 by Bob Carpenter and Jim Williams to help raise awareness and financial resources for the needs of Delawareans with intellectual disABILITIES. These two co-founders were united by a common love of sports, and the fact that they were both raising children with intellectual challenges. Carpenter and Williams gathered on a Saturday afternoon with local high school football players, cheerleaders, and fans to play a fundraising football game. Since that very first kickoff, almost sixty years ago, hundreds of thousands of dollars has been raised to help countless individuals and families in the state of Delaware.
While the football game was definitely a highlight, it was far from the only attraction on the day’s agenda. The day included a family fun zone, food vendors, and many other exciting activities. Among the festivities, WilmU Alumni Relation’s own, Stacey Stickel could be found working hard to support this noble cause.
Stacey’s active participation in the Blue-Gold game was nothing new to her; actually her connection to the event was established years before she was born, when her mother was a Queen Candidate for the foundation in 1967. In 1993, Stacey carried on the family tradition and participated in the program as a member of the Blue-Gold Marching Band and as a participant in the Hand-in-Hand program, where she was paired with a six-year-old child with an intellectual disABILITY. Stacey and this young man developed a relationship through monthly events that culminated at the All*Star Football Game. Stacey’s willingness to devote her own time to this child surely made a lasting impact on his life, and she has continued to give of herself ever since. The DFRC is a wonderful organization that does an immense amount of good for the residents of Delaware, and we at WilmU are so proud to have one of our own in their midst. Way to go, Stacey you are truly reflecting the Heart of a Wildcat!
