By Jon Buzby
MaxPreps.com
The 2008 Blue Gold All-Star Football game will be held on Saturday, June 21 at the University of Delaware Football Stadium. The game promises to be an extravagant night, and not just from a football standpoint.
While most all-star games boast loads of future Division I and/or NFL stars – and there will be a few on the field that night - the true stars at the Blue Gold game are the Buddies.
This annual game dates back to 1956 when founders, Bob Carpenter and Jim Williams, inspired the game. Each had a child with a disability and they felt that awareness needed to be raised, along with much-needed funds for research and programs.
If those two names ring a bell it’s because Carpenter is the former owner of the Philadelphia Phillies and Jim Williams’ son, Pat, is the President of the Orlando Magic.
The game benefits the Delaware Foundation for Reaching Citizens, which over the years has raised millions of dollars, and just as importantly, awareness, through events.
Tony Glenn, the organization’s Executive Director and a former Blue-Gold player, explains the purpose behind the game.
“The Blue-Gold All-Star Football Game is the founding event for DFRC," Glenn said. "It was started to raise funds and consciousness to support enrichment programs so that all Delawareans with intellectual disabilities would be able to maximize their potential, independence, and enjoyment of life.
“Every life must have the chance to be a part of their community.”
The Delaware Interscholastic Football Coaches Association selects the coaches for the game, considered to be one of the highest honors bestowed on a high school coach in the state in any sport. Senior players must be nominated by their coach, athletic director and principal (all three) to play in the annual game. The coaching staff then selects the players (72 total) not only based on skill, but leadership and personal characteristics.
In addition, an all-star squad of cheerleaders is selected and an unlimited number of band members perform during halftime.
During the months leading up to the game, the Ambassador Program selects four students from each high school who promote diversity and acceptance through various school activities.
While many states boast an annual football all-star game, it’s the Hand-In-Hand Program that separates this game from others around the country. The program pairs each participant with a child/Buddy who has an intellectual disability.
The program, started in 1974, is the heart of the Blue-Gold experience and doesn’t end when the game’s final horn sounds. William Penn’s head football coach Bill Cole, whose father was the first coach for the Blue and coach for the Blue squad himself in 2006, echoes that sentiment.
“The one tangible thing I received from the game, and still cherish today, is my relationship with my All-Star Buddy,” Cole said. “I have seen him participate in many Special Olympics events over the years and we get together every Christmas.”
During the months leading up to the game, the Blue-Gold committee sponsors planned activities for the participants and buddies, such as parties, picnics and dances.
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 goal is to provide experiences that will be remembered for years to come. More than that, these activities help to build a bond between two friends and teach valuable lessons of diversity, awareness and acceptance.
“We know the value of the Hand-in-Hand Program when we hear a participant say, ‘I really learned a lot about myself from being with my Buddy - he's not so different from me,'" says Barbara Spence, co-coordinator (with husband Winnie) of the program.
Most of these players will never play in the NFL, but by their participation in this game, they’ll gain something that big contracts, fancy cars and mansions can never give them - the appreciation of, respect for, and admiration toward, people of all abilities.
“There is so much that can be learned when people are given a chance to spend time and share with each other,” Glenn said. “It really can be life changing.”
“The game has been a wonderful experience for many people for over 50 years,” Cole said.
This is one game that no matter the outcome, everyone involved is a winner.
Jon Buzby covers Delaware and Maryland for MaxPreps.com