Lanark County: Local bowling alleys were jam packed full as over 700 bowlers came out to support Big Brothers Big Sisters on Saturday. $75,000.00 was raised to fund mentoring programs for this local children’s charity.
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 more than 20% 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, Guy Saumure and Sons, and The Commonwell. Many sponsors also raised pledges. As an example, Tim Horton’s teams throughout the County raised thousands of dollars on top of their sponsorship and had more than dozens of employees participating.
Colby McGeachy’s team from Mississippi Mills brought in over $10,000 making them the highest fundraisers of the year!
According to Lisa Peters, Carleton Place Tim Horton owners, “Our employees are very excited about Tim Hortons Bowl for Kids Sake. They enjoy raising funds and bowling as a team; knowing they are improving the lives of local children.”
The Nintendo Wii event held in Perth was a big hit with young and old alike. This was the third year for trying this format and it went over well with a significant increase in money raised over last year in Perth. New this year was the live music, and local bands added to the fun. Terry Tufts, Fraser Bedford, The Last Supper, Fernando Scatozza and the Yo Mama Band all performed for the crowd.
Funds raised go to help children reach their full potential through consistent, dependable and non-conditional adult friendship. Over the years hundreds of children in Lanark County have benefited from these relationships and the adults involved have overwhelmingly expressed their enthusiasm for the friendship they have enjoyed. In 2014, 515 kids were served throughout Lanark County.
Children in the programs are matched with a caring adult volunteer, and they spend 1 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 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.
