Press Release

February 4, 2025 | By Cole Hatcher

Bishop Backers Winter Community Day will be held Feb. 22 at Ohio Wesleyan. The free event will include an OWU basketball doubleheader vs. Denison University and a Delaware Expo featuring a visit from Columbus Zoo animals. (Photo by Sydney Lewis '23)

Winter Community Day

Bishop Backers to Host Free Event Feb. 22 with OWU Basketball Games, Zoo Animals, YMCA Play Area, More

DELAWARE, Ohio – Ohio Wesleyan University invites everyone to be OWU's guest Feb. 22 during the annual Bishop Backers Winter Community Day celebration.

The family-friendly event will include free admission to an OWU women's and men's varsity basketball doubleheader and a Delaware Expo featuring children's activities, local nonprofits and businesses, CPR training, and more. (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.)

The celebration will be held in Ohio Wesleyan University's Branch Rickey Arena and Gordon Field House, 105 S. Sandusky St., Delaware, with free parking available throughout campus.

During the community celebration, the Battling Bishops will take on the Big Red of Denison University in OWU's last home games of the season. It also will be senior day for the Ohio Wesleyan athletes. 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 p.m. Feb. 22 and is scheduled to feature:

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


Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation's premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers more than 70 undergraduate majors and competes in 24 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Through its signature experience, the OWU Connection, Ohio Wesleyan teaches students to understand issues from multiple academic perspectives, volunteer in service to others, build a diverse and global perspective, and translate classroom knowledge into real-world experience through internships, research, and other hands-on learning. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book "Colleges That Change Lives" and included on the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review "Best Colleges" lists. Connect with OWU expert interview sources at owu.edu/experts or learn more at owu.edu.