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Causes: Children & Youth, Civil Rights, Disabilities, Disabled Persons Rights, Human Services, Philanthropy, Youth Community Service Clubs
Mission:
The mission of DFRC is to enrich the lives of Delawareans with intellectual disABILITIES.
Results: Since 1956, DFRC has distributed over $6.2 million to agencies and organizations that serve Delawareans with intellectual disABILITIES.
Target demographics: Delawareans of any age with intellectual disABILITIES
Direct beneficiaries per year: 3,000+
Geographic areas served: Newark, Delaware
Programs:
The first Blue-Gold Game was played on August 25,1956. DFRC’s founders, Bob Carpenter and Jim Williams, two local sports enthusiasts who were the parents of children with intellectual disABILITIES, inspired the game. They wanted to host a fundraising event that spread awareness about intellectual disabilities.
The Hand-In-Hand Program was added in 1974 to help the high school participants become more aware and accepting of those who the game benefits - people with intellectual disABILITIES.
Until 1994, the event included queen candidates representing each of the high schools. In 1994 this practice was replaced by the Ambassador Program to help build greater awareness, leadership and activity into the high schools. Today more than forty public, private, parochial, vo-tech and charter schools across the entire state participate, helping to spread DFRC’s message of diversity and acceptance throughout their schools and communities.