Just Try It
Cook books available at Bridgewater Jewelers while supplies last! The books are $39.95 and all proceeds are donated to DFRC(Delaware Foundation Reaching Citizens with intellectual disABILITIES). Please see the press release below.
PRESS RELEASE
December 17, 2015
–FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—
Brianna is a local teen with family ties to the founders of DFRC (Delaware Foundation Reaching Citizens with intellectual disABILITIES). In October 2015, she launched a fundraising campaign to help DFRC, by publishing a cookbook chock-full of family recipes, love, passion, and pride.
Throughout her childhood, Brianna McCoy’s resistance to try new and different foods was consistently met with her parents’ urging to, “Just try it!” At the ripe age of 16, she has taken that advice and turned it into a captivating keepsake full of sweet treats and precious memories. Brianna’s love for baking, born from the fond experiences she had creating delectable delights with both her grandmothers, has brought us a beautiful cookbook, full of the favorite recipes they made and loved throughout her childhood.
And….it’s absolutely all about family! Not only is the cookbook derived from family ties, but Brianna takes family one step further. Bob Carpenter was Brianna’s Great, Great Uncle Griz. Family ties run deep and strong in the legacy left by Mr. Carpenter when he co-founded DFRC, the Delaware Foundation Reaching Citizens with intellectual disABILITIES, in 1956. Uncle Griz and Aunt Mosie had a son who was intellectually challenged, and his life inspired them to do something that would give him and others a better chance to be involved in the community. All these years later, as DFRC celebrates its 60th anniversary year, Brianna decided she wanted to do something special that would follow in the footsteps of her great, great aunt and uncle and provide a similar impact upon the thousands of lives touched by DFRC.
DFRC’s Blue-Gold Football Program invites football players, cheerleaders, band members and ambassadors from each high school in Delaware to participate in a 5-month program to raise awareness and understanding about the abilities of people who are intellectually challenged. The very heart of DFRC is the Hand-in-Hand Program, which allows Blue-Gold participants to be paired with a young person who has an intellectual disability to nurture relationships and allow each of them to learn from each other. A high school junior at Tower Hill School, Brianna has had the opportunity to be involved in her school’s Blue-Gold Club and participate in projects that raise awareness and funds for DFRC. One of her former teachers participated in the Hand-in-Hand Program when he was in high school and, to this day, he is still in contact with his buddy.
Just Try It is the result of family pride, creativity, skill, determination, and an extraordinary personal commitment to make a difference in the world! All the monies raised from Brianna’s cookbook will be donated to DFRC. Just Try It will provide opportunities for people with intellectual disABILITIES to just try it regarding the ordinary experiences that might not otherwise be possible without the programs and services supported by DFRC. Brianna has an uncanny ability to see with her heart. When she puts the wheels in motion, there’s no stopping her….nor would we want to. Brianna’s efforts will ensure that more people will understand abilities far more significantly than disabilities, and with the innocence of her youth, the beauty of recognizing the value of each life will be shared as the legacy of DFRC continues.
Brianna has gathered favorite recipes from her grandmothers, made each one, and illustrated the pages with her own photography. After baking, typing, and editing for more than a year and a half, the cookbook is finally ready! 1,000 copies are hot off the press and ready for purchase, just in time for the holidays!
For more information, or to purchase your copy, please contact the DFRC office at 302.454.2730 or Email Sandy Merritt, Director of Advancement:
About DFRC The Delaware Foundation Reaching Citizens with Intellectual disABILITIES is a well-respected Delaware foundation dedicated to raising funds and consciousness in support of programs that enrich the lives of Delawareans with intellectual disabilities. Established in 1956, the private, nonprofit organization is dedicated to identifying and funding programs based on community need.