Local bowling alleys were jam packed full as over 770 bowlers came out to support Big Brothers Big Sisters on Saturday. $81,000 was raised to fund mentoring programs for this local children’s charity. This is $11,000 over the goal for this year! The Tim Horton’s Bowl for Kids Sake fundraiser is in its 33rd year for the agency.
Bowl for Kids is a Canadian tradition from Coast to Coast. Big Brothers Big Sisters is not funded by the government, and this fun filled event raises over 30% of the agency’s annual budget.
The community came together once again to help fund programs for local children. Participants put together teams made up of friends, families or co-workers and brought in pledges. Local sponsors covered event costs so that all funds raised by the public could go right to the programs. Sponsors included; Tim Hortons as title sponsor, as well as Prodecal, Crain & Schooley, Lake 88, Cogeco, Hinton Dodge Chrysler, EMC, Jack FM, TD Canada Trust Carleton Place, and Impression Printing.
New this year was the opportunity to try Nintendo Wii bowling at the Perth Civitan Club. The Perth bowling alley closed this year and the agency created a new option to replace it. Rhonda Low, the BBBS staff person coordinating the Wii event talked about how the change went over in Perth. “This year, we were faced with a huge challenge in Perth; we had to host a bowling tournament with no bowling alley! Thankfully, due to the generosity of the Perth Civitan, we were able to create a virtual bowling alley, and host a Nintendo Wii Version. We created an 8 lane venue with big screen TVs, and plenty of excitement. The teams that participated in our Wii Tournament had a great time. The feedback was very positive and many teams were really looking forward to next year!”
There is power in mentoring. Half of all Canadians adults were bullied as a child or teenager according to a new survey. Moreover, an overwhelming majority of Canadians (85 per cent) believe that providing children and teenagers who bully others with a volunteer mentor is an effective way to reduce bullying.
Conducted by Harris/Decima for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada (BBBSC), the poll examined attitudes about bullying. The survey also studied the value of mentoring as a way to prevent abusive behaviours and help those who are bullied to rebuild their confidence and self-esteem.
The Harris/Decima survey shows clearly that the frequency of bullying is widespread and that Canadians are both deeply concerned about bullying and ready to act against this damaging form of abuse.
Key Findings
- 95 per cent of Canadian adults surveyed believe people have a responsibility to take action to stop bullies.
- 89 per cent believe bullying poses a serious threat to the long-term well-being of children and teenagers.
- 50 per cent of Canadian adults surveyed were bullied as a child or teenager.
- 62 per cent of those who were bullied believe they would have benefited from having a volunteer adult mentor to help them cope.
- Nearly a third (30 per cent) think the abuse they suffered had a lasting harmful effect.
- 87 per cent of adults surveyed agree that action to reduce bullying strengthens communities over time.
BBBSC commissioned the survey to mobilize Canadians to take action to reduce bullying in their communities. From February through April, Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies across Canada will be holding fundraising bowling events that offer people a powerful way to reduce bullying and its hurtful effects in their communities.
Locally the agency served 347 children through mentoring in 2012. The agency is actively seeking new volunteers 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.
