By Cole Hatcher
You’re invited to join the Bishop Backers on February 18 for Winter Community Day 2023, a free Delaware celebration held in Ohio Wesleyan University’s Branch Rickey Arena and Gordon Field House.
The family-friendly event will include free on-campus parking and free admission to both a Delaware Expo showcasing local nonprofits and businesses and an Ohio Wesleyan women’s and men’s varsity basketball doubleheader. (Admission is free with a canned food donation – unexpired, please – or a monetary donation to benefit the Delaware County Hunger Alliance, a United Way of Delaware County initiative.)
During the community celebration, the OWU women’s and men’s basketball teams will take on the Terriers of Hiram College. It will be senior day for both teams, and the games will mark the last home competitions for the 2022-2023 Battling Bishops. The women’s game will tip off at 1 p.m., and the men’s game will follow at 3 p.m.
The Delaware Expo will be open from noon to 3:30 p.m. Feb. 18 and will feature:
- A children’s play area with pickleball and a gaga pit courtesy of the Delaware Community Center YMCA.
- A visit from Columbus Zoo and Aquarium animals between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.
- A chance to explore Delaware Fire Department’s inflatable fire safety house with giveaway helmets and stickers for children.
- An opportunity to learn how to perform Hands-On CPR and use automated external defibrillators (AEDs) with Delaware County Emergency Medical Services.
- A chance to meet and adopt dogs from the Humane Society of Delaware County.
- An opportunity to meet Battling Bishop varsity athletes.
- A free raffle for a big-screen television courtesy of First Commonwealth Bank and 50/50 raffles to benefit the Hunger Alliance.
Both the CPR and AED trainings are new this year. They will be provided by Delaware County EMS (DCEMS) with assistance from the Delaware Fire Department, graduates of the DCEMS Citizens Academy, and members of The Ohio State University Hands-Only CPR Internship.
“Our motto at Delaware County EMS is ‘Committed to Community,’ and part of that is engaging with our citizens whenever possible to save lives,” Capt. Glen Keating said. “Teaching Hands-Only CPR is just one way we engage the public because we know it has exponential benefit for patients who suffer sudden cardiac arrest. We love that it is a simple procedure that we can explain and teach to anyone, anywhere, and it makes a positive difference to our mission!”
In addition, Keating said, the AEDs will be training models so that people are able to practice using them on mannequins with no risk of accidental shock. According to the American Heart Association, the survival rate of victims of sudden cardiac arrest nearly doubles when both CPR and AEDs are administered.
In addition to this safety training, the Delaware Fire Department will use its inflatable fire safety house to teach children what to do in the event of a building fire.
“The Delaware Fire Department looks forward to meeting the community and sharing important information on fire prevention and fire safety,” Interim Fire Chief Tim Pyle said.
The annual Bishop Backers Winter Community Day is intended to bring people together for a free afternoon of entertainment and education, building on the strong sense of cooperation and collaboration that makes Delaware such a great community. The expo also will help businesses and nonprofit organizations to connect with potential customers and volunteers, including Ohio Wesleyan students and alumni.
The Bishop Backers is an organization of community advocates interested in sharing information about athletics and other events at Ohio Wesleyan and in connecting potential student-volunteers, interns, and employees with local organizations. Learn more at owu.edu/BishopBackers.
Source: OWU — Photo: The Ohio Wesleyan Bishop Backers will host Winter Community Day on Feb. 18 at the university. The free event, last held in 2020, will feature an OWU basketball doubleheader and a Delaware Expo that includes a YMCA children’s play area, a visit from Columbus Zoo animals, and hands-on safety demonstrations from local firefighters and EMS workers. (Photo by Erin Ross ’20)
