SOUTH JERSEY

Voorhees girl, 12, vies to bring state muffin to New Jersey

Celeste E. Whittaker
The Courier-Post

BURLINGTON CITY – There are state birds, state flowers, state fruits, state animals, even state flags. But did you know that some states had their own state muffins?

Yes, muffins.

Those sweet, crumbly treats.

Delize Patterson, 12, of Voorhees was with her mother, Dr. Donee Patterson, when they heard a report on the radio about state muffins. A student at Voorhees Middle School, Delize wondered if New Jersey had one.

"I found out we didn’t," Delize said. "I was like, 'How can we change that?' My mom told me to look it up. So I did. It’s come so far.”

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Delize looked up information and found out New Jersey was not among the handful of states with an official muffin. She did more research and solicited the help of her mother and others to craft a bill to declare a state muffin.

Assemblywoman Carol Murphy, D-Burlington, has gotten behind it, and recently introduced a bill to name a state muffin based on what Delize and the others came up with.

Delize Patterson, 12, of Voorhees stands behind a table featuring three of the types of muffins that were taste-tested recently. The Voorhees Middle School student came up with the idea for New Jersey to have a state muffin. A local assemblywoman is backing her and recently introduced a bill that Delize wrote over the summer for a blueberry cheesecake muffin to be the state muffin.

“There’s only six other states that have muffins and that’s how this all got started, because my daughter heard it on the radio and she said, 'well if New Jersey doesn’t have one, how do we get that to be,'" Patterson said. “I told her, 'I’m a doctor, I only know medical stuff, look it up.' With her curiosity she just kept going and going and it got to be this big amazing event.”

Picking a winner

Delize is a part of the South Jersey chapter of Jack & Jill of America, a national organization that attempts to nurture future leaders by encouraging leadership development, volunteer service, philanthropic giving and civic duty. It was started by a group of African-American mothers in 1938.

An important vote to finalize details of Delize's quest for a state muffin was part of an event the organization held this past Saturday at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Burlington City.

Patterson is the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) committee chair for the organization's South Jersey chapter and came up with the idea to hold the four-hour event, which featured all eight national thrusts of Jack & Jill — recreational, educational, legislative, health, cultural, financial, leadership and civic.

For example, a scientist offered lessons on the science of baking and steered children through a baking experiment; a table was set up with healthy treats, another with desserts from different parts of the world, and one allowed children to decorate Mason jars to be sold at a later event where proceeds would be used as seed money for future activities.

“Jack & Jill of America is an organization that strives to bring together African-American children just to help them develop and learn and become leaders,” Patterson said. “It was sort of my brainchild to have an event where we covered all eight national thrusts.”

Assemblywoman Carol Murphy, D-Burlington (center), Voorhees student Delize Patterson (right with gold shirt) and her mother Dr. Donee Paterson (right with black shirt) take part in a muffin tasting at a South Jersey chapter of Jack & Jill of America event. Delize came up with the idea for New Jersey to have a state muffin. Murphy recently introduced a bill that Delize wrote for a blueberry cheesecake muffin to be the state muffin.

The legislative portion of the event featured a table set up for a muffin tasting with three different flavors that highlight New Jersey: blueberry cheesecake, corn fritter honey and peach cobbler. All featured prominent crops in the state.

The children and other attendees cast their votes for their favorite muffin, with blueberry cheesecake winning out.

Murphy's bill, introduced last week, calls for naming blueberry muffins as the state muffin. But, after Saturday’s taste test, the measure will be amended to declare blueberry cheesecake the official muffin of New Jersey, Murphy said.

Blueberries are already New Jersey’s official state fruit.

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Some other states already have classic blueberry as their official muffin, so the cheesecake twist will allow New Jersey to put a unique spin on the idea.

Massachusetts and Maryland both have corn muffin as their state muffin. New York has the apple muffin, Hawaii the coconut muffin, and Minnesota and Virginia both have the blueberry muffin.

Delize Patterson, 12, of Voorhees (right) takes part in a science of baking experiment at a recent South Jersey chapter of Jack & Jill of America event at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Burlington City. The Voorhees Middle School student came up with the idea for New Jersey to have a state muffin. A local assemblywoman is backing her and recently introduced a bill that Delize wrote over the summer for a blueberry cheesecake muffin to be the state muffin.

Murphy attended the event, as did Burlington City Mayor Barry Conaway, Burlington County Freeholder Linda Hughes, and Voorhees Township Committeewoman Michelle Nocita.

Despite facing some criticism for spending time on a bill about muffins, Murphy said she was more than happy to support the bill that Delize came up with.

She stressed she “absolutely” supports it.

“Look at all these kids who want to learn,” Murphy said. “She put her own bills together but also it's about starting from the start of coming up with the idea for a business — because this is a business — implement it, get the legislators behind her and start going forward. They’re so excited about. I’m overwhelmed. All the things she was showing me, how we’re going to vote. This is very ingenious. You’re not just tasting it but you’re also experiencing it. It’s like girl power all over again.

“We dropped a bill. It was a no-brainer. Anybody who would say no to this, I don’t understand it. This was a no-brainer as a bill.”

New Jersey Assemblywoman Carol Murphy (second from the right), D-Burlington, hands a commendation from the 7th Legislative District to South Jersey chapter of Jack & Jill of America president Tanya Jackson at the organization's STEM event on Saturday in Burlington City. Delize Patterson, 12, stands directly next to Murphy and Delize's mother Dr. Donee Paterson is next to her. Delize came up with the idea for New Jersey to have state muffin and Murphy recently introduced a bill Delize helped craft for a blueberry cheesecake muffin to be the state's muffin.

“It’s been an exciting opportunity,” said Tanya Jackson, president of the South Jersey chapter of Jack & Jill of America.

“We are an organization that really kind of cultivates our leaders in our community, so this was just a wonderful opportunity to pull all of that together. It’s a great opportunity to celebrate Delize and make it a learning opportunity for all of our children.”

Delize who worked with My Favorite Muffin in Sicklerville to come up with flavors

“I feel amazing, it’s been so great,” she said of the experience. “I love doing this with my mom and my friends. It’s come so far and I’m really happy.”

 

Celeste E. Whittaker: @cp_CWhittaker; 856-486-2437; cwhittaker@gannettnj.com

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