Yesterday, I was back in my hometown of Wilmington, Delaware on some family business. Every time I find myself back in the First State, I always stop at The Charcoal Pit. "The Pit" holds a special place in my heart. I have memories of family dinners, late nights crammed in a booth with my high school friends, and of course, waiting patiently behind the rope and dreaming of a black and white shake that would soon be mine. 

One aspect of The Pit has always haunted me. It's something that gnaws at my soul every time I walk through its doors. How is it possible that there isn't a sundae for Ursuline Academy?

I started at UA in first grade and graduated in 1987. Even as a student, I was disappointed that my school was not represented on the menu. After my visit yesterday, I decided that the time had arrived to take a stand and to make a case why Ursuline deserves a sundae to be named for it.

• Ursuline has been a fixture in Wilmington, educating young women since the school first opened almost 130 years ago.
• Ursuline's motto - Serviam, Latin for “I will serve" - has been cultivated over the years and put into practice throughout the Wilmington area including Ministry of Caring’s Guardian Angel Child Care Center, St. Patrick’s Center, Special Olympics, Ronald McDonald House, area hospitals, nursing homes, and daycare centers, among many others.
• In addition to being a school known for its academic excellence, it is also a high school sports powerhouse. Ursuline athletes and their families have celebrated wins and grieved over losses at The Pit. Ursuline has won 64 State Championships, 17 State Basketball Titles,
  14 State Cross Country Titles, 12 State Volleyball Titles, 12 State Track & Field Titles, 7 State Swimming Titles, 2 State Tennis Titles.
• Ursuline has many well-known alumnae who no doubt hold a fondness in their heart for The Pit. This list includes Valerie Biden Owens (political strategist and sister of the President of the United States), Aubrey Plaza (actress), Elena Delle Donne (WBNA player for the Washington Mystics), Val Whiting (former WBNA player and Stanford Hall of Fame inductee), Erin Arvedlund (financial journalist), Vera Gilbride Davis (Delaware politician), and Marjorie Rendell (federal judge and former first lady for the State of Pennsylvania), just to name a few.

I know that adding Ursuline to the sundae list could open a Pandora's box and lead to other schools' demanding representation. But, they didn't do a change.org petition and we did.

Ursuline's colors are red and white. We understand that strawberries are already represented in many of the school sundaes, so we would be thrilled to be part of a different, creative new sundae! Maybe even something radical like an all chocolate sundae would be fun!

If you support this petition, please sign and share with your friends and family.

Nora Fitzpatrick 
Ursuline Academy - Class of 1987