Bowl for Kids' Sake: Big Brother Big Sister of America Annual Event

Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, according to their official website, is the largest, most effective mentoring organization in the United States. The organization's roots stem back to 1904 when a New York court official named Ernest Coulter, familiar with the rising population of troubled youths within the court system, felt there was a way to guide these kids down a better path through mentoring. At the time, a similar program was already established for troubled girls, known as the Ladies of Charity. The charity later renamed the organization the Catholic Big Sisters. Taking note of the success of the girls' program and following a similar framework, Coulter began to recruit local adults to volunteer as mentors for troubled boys, and the program was set in motion.

As both organizations grew in popularity and success over the years, it came to light in 1977 that both programs should combine and strengthen into one large mentoring organization. Through this merge, the national mentoring powerhouse known as Big Brothers Big Sisters of America was born. Today, the BBBS of America calls Philadelphia, PA home and has a volunteer base of over 240,000 men and women mentors, with local chapters throughout the United States and a plethora of other countries.

More than a century later, the organization continues to follow its original mission statement, "to help children reach their potential through professionally supported, one-to-one relationships with mentors that have a measurable impact on youth". The success of the mission is statistically documented and according to the BBBS website, children enrolled in the program notice a marked rise in self esteem and are significantly less likely to become involved with drug and alcohol use. Consequently, they are also less likely to become incarcerated or drop out of school.

It is because of these consistent successes and notable statistics, government and church affiliations have also joined in becoming partner groups as well. Following the guidelines of the organization's overall theme, smaller branches of specific concentrations have also been created; placing focus on children with specific afflictions, specific needs, religious affiliations and ethnic backgrounds as well.

Today, the national organization recruits volunteers through local chapters or through an on-line application found on the official website, for anyone who can give a minimum of four hours of their time per month. To become a volunteer, the applicant must first go through a rigorous background check, followed by an in-person interview. From the data collected, matches are made based on the geographical location and personality of both mentor and child.

Funding for this program is highly dependent on private donations, with 75% of the overall budget coming from the private sector. The remaining funds received come from grants, church partner groups and fundraisers. According to the data collected from Charity Navigator, an organization marked as the country's premier independent charity evaluator, 92% of every dollar the BBBS receives goes directly to making and supporting matches while the remaining funds cover overall program administration costs. None of these funds are allocated to support the mentor-child activities, as these costs are at the expense of the mentor.

The organization's signature fundraising event, Bowl for Kids' Sake, is the Big Brother Big Sister annual money maker and awareness program. It has been established for the better part of twenty years with a participation body of 500,000 people annually. Funds for this event are collected primarily through solicited pledges by the bowling participants, however, if an individual wishes to participate but chooses not to solicit donations, a personal contribution will be gladly accepted.

This year, I personally had the opportunity to participate in one of the many Bowl for Kids' Sake fundraisers, made possible through the organized efforts of a BBBS district chapter, and in conjunction with the support of a local bowling alley. The alley in which the event was held donated space, shoes and balls for the event, while the lane use was funded by donations obtained from local businesses. The alley itself was divided in half, allowing both participants and non-participants the opportunity to bowl for the evening.

With an initial donation, my group of four was afforded the opportunity to bowl one string, our particular lane having been donated by a local bank. At the time of my group's participation, roughly 150 people were in attendance, with the majority mulling about tables, participating in raffles and auctions, and congregating in small, unorganized groups of friends and those asking questions about the programs offered. Tables, where shirts and other Big Brother Big Sister paraphernalia could be purchased, were set up throughout the designated fundraising area. A DJ was present, keeping the atmosphere in a high end positive feel, and food items were offered at an additional expense to participants. Alcohol was allowed in designated areas, but not on the alleys directly. All those in attendance were in a festive mood and people went out of their way to introduce themselves.

One could argue that participating in such an event could prove embarrassing when one doesn't bowl as a rule, however, I'm a good sport and took my beginner faults with pride. The freshly oiled alley was to my disadvantage, and I'm pleased that the boundary alarm was deactivated for the evening and allowed me the comfort of not bringing attention to my poor skills by setting off those alarms. I did, however, suffer the misfortune of dislodging the ball behind me, nearly taking out my bowling buddies. Overall, I did manage to secure a score of 119, coming in second among the group. I suppose it was an adequate score for a typically non-bowling individual.

If you would like to learn more about Big Brothers Big Sisters of America or are interested in volunteering or making a donation, or maybe you want to find a Bowl for Kids Sake fundraising event near you, meander on over to their website and check them out at www.bbbs.org. There is personal satisfaction knowing that you can, in some way, directly impact a child at risk of following an undesirable path, and influence them in a way that will help them achieve their potential.

Sources: bbbs.org, Wikipedia.com; charitynavigator.com