{"id":5059644,"date":"2023-11-10T09:59:14","date_gmt":"2023-11-10T14:59:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ctlatinonews.com\/?p=5059644"},"modified":"2023-11-10T09:59:14","modified_gmt":"2023-11-10T14:59:14","slug":"ct-big-brother-little-brother-featured-in-macys-holiday-campaign","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/ctln\/2023\/11\/10\/ct-big-brother-little-brother-featured-in-macys-holiday-campaign\/","title":{"rendered":"CT Big Brother, Little Brother Featured in Macy\u2019s Holiday Campaign"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When Ocean Medina, 11, and Joe DeLutrie, 52, first met through the Big Brothers Big Sisters of CT mentorship program, they bonded fairly quickly. The pair got to know each other by going to the library, playing basketball, and spending time at the playground. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Almost two years later, the pair has traveled to New York City for a photoshoot and a celebration as part of Macy\u2019s upcoming holiday campaign, which Medina and DeLutrie were chosen to participate in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was pretty exciting, knowing how it was country-wide that we were selected,\u201d DeLutrie shared about the experience. \u201cOcean\u2019s definitely the star, I\u2019m just a costar to compliment him. It was pretty incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between November 3 and December 24, the 2023 holiday campaign will be shown at over 500 Macy\u2019s retail locations across the country\u2014including six Macy\u2019s retail stores in Connecticut: Danbury, Farmington, Manchester, Milford, Stamford, and Trumbull. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Macy\u2019s and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America have partnered this holiday season on several other engagement efforts in New York City and across the country: Bigs and Littles across the country will have the opportunity to attend and participate at the Macy\u2019s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Macy\u2019s has launched a donation campaign from Nov. 1 to Dec. 24 to support BBBS\u2019 work, along with other events that look to celebrate the achievements and contributions of participating Bigs and Littles throughout the nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each Big Brothers Big Sisters Chapter across the country had nominated a male and\/or female Big and Little pair to be featured in the Macy\u2019s Campaign. When Medina and DeLutrie were approached about being nominated, DeLutrie was hesitant at first but the pair ultimately agreed to give it a shot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI’m like\u2026what are the chances that we\u2019re going to really be selected?\u201d DeLutrie said. \u201cAnd I’m like, even if it does happen, it’d be pretty cool and pretty great for Ocean and\u2026that’s why I’m doing this. So, I\u2019m like \u2018Don’t think about me, think about what he would like\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few weeks later, around mid-June, Medina and DeLutrie were notified about being selected for the campaign and the pair was stunned. They soon received an itinerary to travel to Manhattan for a photoshoot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt feels like a dream,\u201d Ocean Medina\u2019s mother, Janette Medina, told CT Latino News. \u201cI always think that my son is amazing. But people are like \u2018Yeah, of course you think he\u2019s amazing, he\u2019s your son.\u2019 He’s so outspoken and his personality is so amazing. He’s so charismatic and for somebody else to actually see that, It’s amazing to me, it’s like wow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the pair first visited Manhattan, DeLutrie said it was the first time he ever saw Ocean act shy since it was a brand-new experience for them both. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut as we’re going through it, we’re starting to get more comfortable [and] we\u2019re getting excited. Then he really got into his own. He’s like, \u2018Oh, can we do this?\u2019…\u201dCan I go and play on this playground and get some pictures of me here?\u2019\u201d DeLutrie explained. \u201cI think he\u2019s ready to go back because he always says he wants to be a star, so this is part of his early stardom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was very happy and excited,\u201d said Ocean Medina in a phone interview. Although there was a lot going on during their first trip to Manhattan, Medina said he felt good about going back and was not nervous at all\u2014he was a professional now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Ocean Media at the photoshoot for Macy’s 2023 Holiday Campaign in NYC. Photo Courtesy of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Connecticut.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On November 3, Medina and DeLutrie returned to Manhattan for a celebration that would kick off the holiday campaign at Macy\u2019s flagship store. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTheir personalities together, I mean, they definitely got it,\u201d Janette Medina said about the pair during the campaign photoshoot. \u201cEverything they did, they got it in the bag. They were pros and to me, they barely tried, it was natural.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The campaign will be across Macy\u2019s social media, in its stores, as well as shown at Times Square. DeLutrie spoke at the campaign\u2019s kick-off celebration on the impact that the mentorship program\u2014and Medina\u2014has had on him.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Together, with @Macys<\/a>, we are inspiring a new generation to achieve their dreams. Until December 24, donate online or round up in-store through Mission Every One: https:\/\/t.co\/VwqZInOKhO<\/a> \ud83e\udd1d #BeBig<\/a> #BiggerTogether<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/OwnTTLkFVo<\/a><\/p>— Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (@BBBSA) November 1, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote> \n\n\n\n

Medina and DeLutrie were matched in the mentorship program back in January 2022. DeLutrie was looking to give back to his community and Janette Medina, who was a Little Sister in the program, was hoping her son would have positive experiences through the mentorship like she did. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI just remembered one day how much of an impact it was and going through a divorce, being a divorcee, and him not having a male role model, it was just like a lightbulb went off one day. I said \u2018Wait a minute, there are options out there,\u201d Janette Medina told CT Latino News.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jannette Medina had been paired with two Big Sisters in the program. She still has photos from trick-or-treating with both of them to the time her first Big Sister taught her to bake cookies from scratch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou know, these are things that are going to be embedded in your mind and in your heart forever. Having a big sister was pretty life-changing for me. Who knows how things would have turned out if I didn’t have one,\u201d Janette Medina said, who remains in contact with her second Big Sister. \u201cI just want him to feel that experience. I didn’t want him to feel like he was missing out on a male role model. And I couldn’t have asked for a better Big Brother like he’s so amazing. I know for a fact that he’s already impacted his life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Medina and DeLutrie see each other once a week\u2014sometimes for an hour, sometimes for two to three hours. The pair has spent time at the library getting to know each other and playing games, going to the basketball court and to a few UConn games, and visiting the playground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt’s a great program. It’s really exciting when you see the other mentors with their Littles and you see the kids getting along. The adults, they can talk to each other, they might have some suggestions or shared experiences that you can talk about,\u201d DeLutrie said. \u201cNot all of the kids have opportunities that, whether it\u2019s myself, my kids, or you, had when you\u2019re younger to be out and playing. Whether it\u2019s playing with friends, in the neighborhood, or doing sports, or whatever it might be, they don\u2019t have all those opportunities. So, when they go and get together, it\u2019s pretty cool. They make a friend here and there that they can see from time to time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

DeLutrie commends the Big Brothers Big Sisters staff for their work and highly recommends the program to residents looking for a volunteer opportunity with a flexible schedule and hours, where they can support youth in their community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When Ocean Medina, 11, and Joe DeLutrie, 52, first met through the Big Brothers Big Sisters of CT mentorship program, 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