By David Fortier
For Chippens Hill Middle School student Aidan Delgado, seeing Donovan Clingan up close and personal was an opportunity to see someone who is typically out of reach in a totally different way.
“Everyone always talks about him as if he is a really high person,” Delgado, a member of the Purple Team, said. “It’s nice to see he’s a real person. We get to see him and we get to see who he really was. He’s just really cool.”
Aidan Delgado, lower right, with his Dunkin’ hat, among photos of fellow Chippens Hill Middle School students who welcomed UConn men’s basketball star and former Chippens Hill Middle School student, Donovan Clingan, Wednesday morning in a surprise visit. | David Fortier
Clingan, the University of Connecticut men’s basketball star and Bristol native, surprised students with a visit to his alma mater Wednesday morning as a Dunkin Donuts ambassador.
He officiated a basketball game between teachers–the Blue Team won 6-5–participated in a layup contest–he won, and answered questions from students–on whether he will be back for another season at UConn- let’s take one season at a time.
“We get slide fun facts about him in our daily slide shows,” Delgado said, referencing Clingan’s influence at Chippens. “It’s just nice to see him in the flesh.”
Delago said he doesn’t play basketball, but he did share a teacher of Clingan’s, Mr. Reynolds.
During his visit to Chippens Hill Middle School, UConn men’s basketball star Donovan Clingan officiated a game between teachers, competed in a lay-up contest and answered questions from students. | David Fortier
The eighth grader, who wore a knitted Dunkin hat from the free giveaways, said he plans to join the football team when he gets to Bristol Central High School.
Clingan arrived to the roar of the students just after 10 a.m. After waving a greeting, he went directly to center court where he started the game between two teacher teams with a jump ball toss and watched some of his former teachers put on a show of their own.
Adam Rivers from iHeart radio (KC101 and Kiss-FM) was the emcee over the morning’s program which had several shifts, since the students piled into the gym in different groupings.
According to Dunkin’, 1,500 donuts were distributed–750 boxes of donuts, packed in twos; Dunkin’ winter hats, sunglasses, cobranded Dunkin’/UConn t-shirts and winter socks. All students, staff and teachers received $5 gift cards.
As part of the festivities, Dunkin’ created photo donuts with Donovan and the Chippens Hill Middle School logo on them for Clingan.
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