Not everyone is a good bowler. But sometimes, it’s not about strikes and spares. Sometimes it’s about making a difference in a child’s life.
Bowl for Kids is an annual fundraising event for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lanark County, and this year celebrated its 30th anniversary by raising over $68,000.00 for the local agency.
Approximately 625 bowlers participated in this BIG event held on February 27th in Perth, SmithsFalls and Carleton Place. Bowlers came from all over the County to support the local agency, which does not receive government funding.
“Change your shoes and you can change a life” is the National campaign slogan for events held all across the country for Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies.
It’s a straight forward fund-raiser, interested participants registered through the Big Brothers Big Sisters office and entered their team. Each team received a kit that included pledge sheets, and was encouraged to raise funds to support the agency’s mentoring programs. Teams came out to bowl on the 27th where there was prizes, music, and a lot of laughs.
“I have participated in Bowl for Kids for almost ten years, as a volunteer or staff person,” says Jennifer Miller, the agency’s Executive Director, “And it never ceases to amaze me that even when our community is suffering financially they show us how much they value what we do for their children.”
Local sponsors helped cover the cost of the event, so that every pledge raised by bowlers went directly to agency programs. Corporate sponsors included; Crain & Schooley Insurance Brokers Ltd., Hinton Auto Connection, Standard Life (Alex Goldmaker), CIBC Carleton Place, Prodecal, EMC Record News, Cogeco Cable, Winmar, and Superior Propane.
Bowl for Kids is a Canadian tradition from Coast to Coast. It is the principal fund raising effort for the majority of Big Brother Big Sister agencies associated with the National Organization.
This annual event accounts for a significant portion of the LanarkCounty agency’s annual operating budget. Funds raised go to help children reach their full potential through consistent, dependable and non-conditional adult friendship. Over the years hundreds of children innLanarkCounty have benefited from these relationships and the adults involved have overwhelmingly expressed their enthusiasm for the friendship they have enjoyed.
Children in the programs are matched with a caring adult volunteer, and they spend 3 to 5 hours per week together. This is a program that focuses on friendship, and helps children who need a mentor to look up to. Often the children in the programs come from single parent homes, and are need of a role model and someone to talk to. Adult volunteers are fully screened and come from all walks of life, some are young adults, some are seniors – it’s the sort of volunteer program that can accommodate almost anyone with a few hours to spare.
The agency is actively seeking new volunteer for their mentoring programs, and would welcome your calls or questions about volunteer options. For more information about the agency, visit www.bigbrothersbigsisterslanark.ca or call 613-283-0570.