Press Release

December 16, 2015 | By Cole Hatcher

Free Bishop Backers Community Day Celebration Set For Jan. 23, 2016

Delaware Nonprofit Organizations, Businesses Invited to Register Now for Expo Space 

DELAWARE, Ohio – The Bishop Backers invite you to save the date for Community Day 2016, a county-wide celebration of Delaware that will include free admission to an Ohio Wesleyan University men’s and women’s basketball doubleheader (with a canned food donation) and a community expo showcasing local community service agencies and businesses.

Community Day 2016 will be held Saturday, Jan. 23, at Ohio Wesleyan’s Branch Rickey Arena and Gordon Field House, 105 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. The event will feature an indoor children’s play area courtesy of the Delaware Community Center YMCA.

Attendees also are invited to watch the OWU’s men’s and women’s basketball teams take on Denison University. The women’s game tips off at 1 p.m., and the men’s game follows at 3 p.m. The community expo will be held from noon to 3:30 p.m. 

The event is intended to bring people together for a free day of entertainment and education, building upon the strong sense of cooperation and collaboration that makes Delaware such a great community. The expo also will help businesses and community service organizations connect with potential customers and volunteers, including Ohio Wesleyan students and alumni. Canned food donations will benefit LSS Food Pantries operated by Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio.

Those wishing to participate in the expo are asked to sign up before Jan. 8, 2016. Registration is free for nonprofit organizations. For-profit businesses are asked to contribute a minimum $10 gift card to be used for event raffles. Registrants will be provided with a table and two chairs. Expo registration forms are available online at www.owu.edu/BishopBackers.pdf or by contacting Ed Lenane at Ohio Wesleyan at ewlenane@owu.edu.

The Bishop Backers is an organization of community advocates interested in sharing information about the breadth of athletics, arts, and educational opportunities available at Ohio Wesleyan and in connecting potential student-volunteers, interns, and employees with local organizations. Follow the Bishop Backers or learn more about the organization at www.facebook.com/BishopBackers.


Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers 87 undergraduate majors and competes in 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Ohio Wesleyan combines a challenging, internationally focused curriculum with off-campus learning and leadership opportunities to connect classroom theory with real-world experience. OWU’s 1,675 students represent 43 U.S. states and territories and 33 countries. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” listed on the latest President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction, and included in the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review “best colleges” lists. Learn more at www.owu.edu.