Big Brother and Little Brother team with family and friends raise over $1500 in support of Big Brothers Big Sisters Programs! Pictured, from left are:Karen (Big Brother's wife) Colbey (Little Brother fundraiser extraordinaire!) family friend Mike, Big Brother Mike, Baby Eli (Karen & Big Brother Mike's little tyke) and Little Brother Colbey's mom Carrie. If there was a prize for the bowling team with the most heart - this group would have won it hands down!
Over 120 Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies across Canada recently hosted their largest annual fundraising event in support of children's mentoring programs and services. On a local level, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Vancouver Island and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cowichan Valley held their events in March and were successful in a BIG way!
Cowichan Valley's group raised over $11,000 this year, and Central Vancouver Island raised $19,000. The event's concept is simple - it's about bowling for the sake of kids - hence the name "Bowl For Kids' Sake".
The theme for the Central Vancouver Island event held at Splitsville Entertainment was the Nifty Fifties… appropriate when you think of when the popularity of bowling exploded - in the 1950's. The beauty of this bowling event is that any age group can take part, whether you are a corporate group wanting a fun activity outside of the regular work day, a family team that wants to help out Big Brothers and Big Sisters' agencies, or a teen group wanting to have some fun.
Nobody really bowls for a score to hand in, although teams of five join, and they do compete against each other. The team commits to raising a minimum amount of pledges ($30 each in this case) and the agency takes care of the entire costs for your group to bowl that game for them on event day. It is simple, free to the participants, and fun… and supports Big Brothers Big Sisters' valuable programs for children.
Doug Bott, Past President of the Board of Directors and Leonard Krog, MLA, and Denise Robinson, Executive Director share a smile after Leonard Krog threw the 'inaugural ball' to let the games begin. Leonard showed that practice made perfect - last year he threw a gutter ball, and this year almost bowled them all down!
Big Brothers Big Sisters fundraise at special events to support the two programs offered - the In School Mentoring Program and the more widely known Traditional Program of Big Brothers and Big Sisters matched to their Littles. The support of these two programs is vital to the families served, as that is what enables the agency to continue to provide their services at no cost to the children's families. A large majority of the families served face serious economic challenges, due to many mitigating factors. It could be that the family is a lone parent family - with only one income earner in the family at the best of times. The lone parent carries many responsibilities that can prevent them from spending valuable recreational time with their child. Some families are grandparents raising their grandchild - either due to parental substance issues, health issues, or disease. The one common denominator in it all is that the child is in need of a positive role model that is able to provide them with a gift of time. As simple as that.
There are no associated costs to becoming a mentor to a child. You do not become a "replacement 
parent"… It does not take any more than 2 to 4 hours per week of your time… and it is NOT about spending money on the child. The children served simply need a caring, positive, and safe role model. It could be somebody like you, and the decision to help out a child in need could have a big impact on the shaping of that child's future.
Bowl For Kids Sake was another HUGE success in Central Vancouver Island, raising over $19,000. Teams came from our corporate community, our community service providers, and families and friends. As a corporate business on Vancouver Island, Arbutus RV and Marine came out in support of the event in a big way - as a corporate sponsor, and as participants. With locations throughout Vancouver Island, it is a natural fit for their group to support a local charity in the communities they do business in, and we are grateful they have chosen to support our Cowichan Valley agency as well as the other island agencies.
The Nanaimo RCMP detachment also sent out 25 of their members to participate in Bowl For Kids Sake - demonstrating that they also care about the children in our communities. A Big Brother and Little Brother team raised over $1500 in pledges alone - talk about giving back! Thank you to all of our participants, sponsors and local businesses that truly were part of making it happen!
To reach the Cowichan agency, call 748-2447, and to reach
Central Vancouver Island call 756-2447.
Find out how you can give a child the gift of time…to last a lifetime.
