Ciro Poppiti has transformed himself into Founding Father Caesar Rodney.

Poppiti is a lawyer, National Guardsman, actor and the elected register of wills in Delaware’s New Castle County — the same office Rodney once held in his county.

On June 12 and 13, Poppiti will ride horseback from Delaware to Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, retracing Rodney’s historic 1776 journey that helped secure support for American independence.

Rodney raced through a storm after learning at midnight that he needed to break a tie in Delaware’s delegation on the vote for independence from England.

“You’ve got to get to Philadelphia by three o’clock, four o’clock the next day,” Poppiti said while portraying Rodney. “The gavel is coming in otherwise everything you have done is now destroyed.”

Rodney famously wore a green scarf to hide a cancerous formation on his face.

While Rodney rode horse trails from Dover to Philadelphia, Poppiti’s route will follow modern roads, including Route 13 through Claymont and Delaware County before heading up Passyunk Avenue to Independence Hall.

Poppiti said the ride is taking place in June because the actual anniversary in early July will coincide with World Cup events in Philadelphia.

Well-trained Amish horses and a buggy will accompany the ride to help make the trip safer on busy modern roads.

Rodney remains a controversial figure for some because his family owned slaves on their Kent County farm.

During protests following George Floyd’s death in 2020, Rodney’s statue was removed from Rodney Square in Wilmington. The statue is now displayed in Freedom Plaza in Washington, D.C.

“We have critics, critics who want to damn Caesar Rodney because he had slaves and they should,” Poppiti said. “We embrace those who are critical of Rodney because those who are critical of him are helping us and they’re fulfilling our mission. Our mission is to tell the whole story warts and all and to expose the fact that it was all people of all colors that helped make the greatest upset in world history happen.”

More information about the reenactment ride, including related events such as a gala and concert, is available at 250ride.org.

This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC Philadelphia. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC Philadelphia journalist edited the article for publication.

“I grow old gracefully,” said Susan Young Browne, who just received permission to keep driving until 115 years old.

That’s a testament to Browne enduring aptitude (and attitude) for life; having recently celebrated her 108th Birthday at the Modern Maturity Center in Dover, Delaware.

Browne was in Delaware in 1918 during Segregation where she worked on a farm with her family sans water or electricity. She would eventually attend Delaware State College for Colored Students, today known as Delaware State University, and graduate in 1945, going on to teach in a one-room school house.

Married twice, she enjoys the company of a clan of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Nowadays, she can be found three times a work at the Modern Maturity Center where she enjoys group exercise classes; staying active is a key to that graceful aging she mentioned.

“When I get up in the morning, I have an exercise routine that I’ve been doing for the last 20 years,” she said. “When I retired and I walked around that classroom for 30 years, I am not going to sit down.”

SPRITELY ELDERS:

130 people attended her birthday party, including the Delaware Governor Matt Meyer, where she was gifted a parking spot right in front of the building reserved for those 100 years or older.

That’s important, because as Ms. Browne told those assembled to celebrate her life, the state had just reissued her driver’s license until 2033.

WATCH the story below from CBS News… 

SHARE Ms. Susan Brown With Your Friends Who Need a Little Inspiration… 

One week after a fire destroyed a historic church in Delaware, the congregation has found a temporary place to worship.

In the early morning hours on Sunday, May 17, 2026, a massive fire broke out at the Mother African Union Church along North Franklin Street.

The fire spread throughout the entire building, shooting flames 20 to 30 feet into the air. Nearby homes had to be temporarily evacuated because of flying embers.

Firefighters fought the blaze from the outside because the conditions were too dangerous, and it took more than an hour to bring the fire under control.

Two firefighters suffered minor injuries; no one else was injured.

The church was left largely in ruins, and investigators are still working to determine the cause of the fire.

Leaders of Mother African Union Church say the mission to rebuild begins now after the historic building burned down over the weekend. NBC10’s Tim Furlong reports. 

Rev. Dr. Ronald W. Whitaker II, the Senior Pastor of Mother African Union Church, held a press conference alongside Governor Matt Meyer and other community members just one day after the devastating fire.

“The flames may have touched our building, but they did not consume our faith,” Whitaker said as he announced the path to restoration would begin.

Pastor, Delaware Governor and other community members provided details following the fire that left a historic church in ruins over the weekend. 

A few days later, on Sunday, May 24, worship services resumed at a temporary location in the Congo Legacy Center in Wilmington.

“This Sunday at the Congo Legacy Center, the Motherland Nation gathers again. Not defeated. Not broken. But resilient, faithful, and moving forward together in our #GoldenRestoration season,” church leaders wrote in a statement.

Church leaders have also launched a GoFundMe campaign to help support recovery efforts saying in part:

“As we begin the long and difficult journey of recovery and rebuilding, we humbly ask our local community, extended partners, friends, and supporters across the nation to continue lifting our congregation in prayer. We remain steadfast in our belief that although our physical sanctuary has been damaged, the spirit, mission, and legacy of Mother African Union Church remain unshaken.

Should you feel led to support our rebuilding and restoration efforts in any capacity, your generosity and partnership would be sincerely appreciated as we work faithfully to restore this historic pillar of faith and community service for future generations.”

If you would like to support Historic Mother African Union Church efforts to rebuild, click here.