A Blue Hen Birthday Celebration

Birthday.

As a child, that word usually invokes images of balloons, cake, presents, friends and fun.

For some, it means a trip with friends to the local family fun center with giant inflatables and arcade games. For others, it means a professional sporting event or even an elaborately themed, over-the-top bash with clowns, magicians, princesses or superheroes.

The unfortunate reality is, however, that many families cannot afford extravagant celebrations.

Stuart Sherman, who is the Executive Director of the Greater Newark Boys & Girls Club, recognized this and set forth to make sure that every child in his club's before and after school care program is celebrated. In fact, three in four of the program's kids have never had their own birthday party before.

Earlier this year, the Boys & Girls Club established the Monthly Birthday Party for kids born in that particular month. Each month has a different theme, which is a surprise to the children. The Blue Hens men's and women's basketball teams were on hand to help celebrate the April birthdays.

"That was a powerful day for our group," commented Martin Ingelsby, Delaware men's basketball head coach. "To see how excited those kids are to celebrate their birthday with our student-athletes was incredible. A birthday party is a special thing and to be a part of something so remarkable while connecting with the youth of our community is not something any of us will forget."

The party started with a pre-game, starting line-up style introduction for each birthday kid as they ran down a high-five tunnel (with their own entrance music!). Each child lit up with excitement as his or her name was called and he or she ran through a tunnel of more than 100 fellow club members and the Delaware student-athletes and coaches.

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"Our kids look to the Delaware student-athletes as celebrities," Sherman remarked. "And to have celebrities come to your birthday party? Dance with you? Play basketball with you? Interact with you? That's unique and something they'll remember forever. It makes a huge impact and makes them feel good about themselves."

A dance party then ensued with a question and answer session following. Women's basketball freshman Jasmine Dickey may have even defeated an unnamed club challenger (he knows who he is) in a game of one-on-one.

"Seeing kids look up to us like that and want to interact with us makes me want to work harder on and off the court," Dickey stated. "I know I can speak for my teammates and the men's team in saying the afternoon was so much fun and everyone, not just the birthday kids, had a good time. It's really something to be in a position to be a positive role model for kids who just want to do what we do and be in our spot when they grow up."

The afternoon wrapped as everyone sang "Happy Birthday," shared presents and ate pizza and cake.

Sherman and his Boys & Girls Club staff plan the event. The rest has become a community affair as restaurants, bakeries and various organizations and corporations have sponsored the event and provided the food, decorations and entertainment. And not only that, two local high school basketball teams held fundraisers so each child could receive special presents tailored to his or her interests.

"This was a first-class event," Natasha Adair, UD women's basketball head coach observed. "It's always a great opportunity when we can go to the Boys & Girls Club and really give back to our community. Stu [Sherman] is a huge advocate for our basketball programs and the Delaware Athletics Department as a whole. What he's done with the Boys & Girls Club and the different initiatives they do for the kids there is incredible. It's investment in our youth and an investment in our community and future."

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