Governor Meyer’s office on Tuesday celebrated the ceremonial tickets to the 69th Blue-Gold All*Star Football Game, joined by the DFRC’s All*Star Buddies, Participants, and their families. ( All*Star buddies JD Michael Aldas, JJ Justice, and Miss Teen Delaware Kayla Kosmalsk, Alaine Grunow (far right), Hand-in-Hand coordinator, and Marie Vacca, Executive Director.) Photo courtesy of Marie Vacca.
Governor Matt Meyer continued the First State tradition on Tuesday afternoon, purchasing the inaugural ticket for the 69th annual DFRC Blue-Gold All★Star Football Game, with DFRC All-Star Buddies, high school Participants, and their families in attendance.
Since its inception, the ticket purchase by Delaware’s sitting Governor has served as a symbolic launch to the DFRC Blue-Gold season.
Governor Meyer was joined by several key figures from the DFRC Hand-in-Hand Program, including All★Star Buddies JJ (Robert) Justice and Michael Aldas, along with their high school partners Janiah Antonette Thorton, LJ (Juan) Aldas, and Michael Hernandez. Families of the participants, past program members such as Miss Teen Delaware 2024 Kayla Kosmalski, and DFRC staff were also present to mark the occasion.
“DFRC is so grateful that Governor Meyer has continued the long-standing tradition of ceremoniously purchasing the first tickets to the DFRC Blue-Gold All★Star Football Game. It is a wonderful experience for our Buddies and Participants. We are so grateful that he is helping us to support the ABILITIES of all!” said Marie Vacca, DFRC executive director.
Founded in 1956, DFRC, the Delaware Foundation Reaching Citizens with intellectual disABILITIES, is preparing to celebrate its 70th year of supporting and enriching the lives of Delawareans with intellectual disabilities. Central to this mission is the Hand-in-Hand Program, launched in 1974, which pairs high school Participants (football players, cheerleaders, band members, and student ambassadors) with Buddies ages 4 to 18 who have intellectual disabilities. The program aims to foster connection, empathy, and community awareness across the state.
Participants and Buddies are selected based on their character, community involvement, and dedication to the values of the DFRC program. Each year, high schools from across the state nominate students to represent their school and make meaningful connections with their Buddy throughout the spring leading up to the big game.
The 69th DFRC Blue-Gold All★Star Football Game will be held on Friday, June 20, 2025, at the University of Delaware.
Claudia is a Philadelphia-based journalist and reporter passionate about storytelling that informs and engages the community. Claudia, a proud Temple University graduate, has built a career covering impactful stories and creating compelling content across digital and print media platforms. With a strong background in writing, editing, and research, Claudia has worked on various topics, from local news to in-depth features, always striving to deliver meaningful and accurate reporting [email protected]
Source: delawarelive.com…