Blue-Gold Football Game Next Saturday

I haven’t made much of a secret of the fact that I am always interested in helping out disabled children. When one of our regular readers asked me to post on the upcoming Blue-Gold game, I was almost embarrassed that I hadn’t thought of it myself. I went to one of these games years ago with a teenager with autism. He would likely never get to attend a football game without the opportunity that the Blue-Gold game provides.

The 53rd Annual Blue-Gold All*Star Football Game will be played Saturday, June 21 at the University of Delaware’s football stadium. Delaware’s all-star high school football players from New Castle County (Blue) go up against the best from Kent and Sussex County (Gold). All-star cheerleaders and bands are there too.

Kickoff is at 7pm. Parking opens at 3pm, and kid’s activities begin at 4pm, so the family can make an evening of it. Fireworks after the game, too!

Tickets are $8 and are available at several local establishments including all Delaware Grotto’s locations. You can buy tickets at the stadium beginning at 4pm on game day. More ticket info is here.

You can buy tickets even if you aren’t sure if you are coming – it’s for a good cause. Proceeds benefit DFRC:

Originally known as the Delaware Foundation for Retarded Children, DFRC has raised millions of dollars over the years through its signature fundraising events – the annual Blue-Gold All-Star Football Game, Holidazzle, the Blue-Gold All-Star Golf Classics, and our newest events, the Blue-Gold All*Star Run/Walk in Lewes and the DFRC Sussex County Auction.

The Blue-Gold game is a real Delaware tradition, and it is a blast. You will probably meet lots of people you know there – friends, politicians, celebrities.

The event is more than a fundraiser: in the weeks before the game, the Hand-in-Hand Program pairs each player, cheerleader, or other participant with a buddy: The Hand-In-Hand Program pairs one or more senior participants with a child with a intellectual disability. The Blue-Gold Committee sponsors planned activities such as parties, picnics and dances from February through Game Day in June. Participants are also encouraged to see their buddies on their own – go to a movie, play a game, take a walk – just do things that friends do together… The Hand-In-Hand Program is the heart of the Blue-Gold experience.

There is nothing so inspiring as seeing the kids run out onto the field before the game to meet their football-hero buddy who has spent some quality time with them.