Area residents are invited to join the Bishop Backers on Saturday, Feb. 17 for Community Day 2018, a free Delaware celebration held in Ohio Wesleyan University’s Branch Rickey Arena and Gordon Field House, 105 S. Sandusky St., Delaware.

The family-friendly event will include free parking and free admission to an Ohio Wesleyan varsity men’s and women’s basketball doubleheader (with a canned food donation) and a Delaware Expo showcasing local nonprofit organizations and businesses.

Both the Battling Bishop men’s and women’s teams will take on the Gators of Allegheny College, with the women’s game tipping off at 1 p.m. and the men’s game following at 3 p.m.

The expo will be open from noon to 3:30 p.m. and will feature an indoor children’s play with Gaga pits (a gentler form of dodgeball) and a bounce house courtesy of the Delaware Community Center YMCA. The expo also will include a visit from Columbus Zoo animals at 2:15 p.m. and opportunities throughout the day to meet Ohio Wesleyan athletes, play OWU miniature golf, and sign up for free raffles with prizes including a big-screen TV.

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 community service organizations connect with potential customers and volunteers, including Ohio Wesleyan students and alumni.

All canned food donations collected at the event will benefit the Delaware County Hunger Alliance, which collaborates with organizations countywide to help address hunger and food insecurity issues. Learn more about the alliance, a United Way of Delaware County initiative, at www.DelawareCountyHunger.org.

Those wishing to have a table at the expo are asked to register before Monday, Feb. 5. 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.

The Bishop Backers is an organization of community advocates interested in sharing information about OWU athletics and other events at Ohio Wesleyan and in connecting potential student-volunteers, interns, and employees with local organizations.