Bowl for Kids' Sake is here once again.
"We started bowling on Feb. 28, and will go through April 11," said Valecia Vogts-Scribner, executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Butler County. "Our big weekend is March 27 and 28, with the County Commissioners bowling on the 28th."
Bowl for Kids' Sake is the agency’s largest annual fundraiser, accounting for nearly 1/3 of its annual budget. The event consists of a series of bowling parties to thank those who have worked to earn pledges for BBBS.
Some team captains are still needed. Captains are responsible for recruiting three to four other people to collect pledges for BBBS. Adults are asked to raise $100 and youth are asked to raise $50.
The top adult pledge earner for the entire campaign will win two round-trip airline tickets to anywhere in the continental U.S. and the top youth pledge earner will win an overnight stay at the Holiday Inn Express in El Dorado, with other prizes to make it a party.
"This campaign is more important than ever, as several grant sources for Bigs have been cut over the past year," said Vogts-Scribner. "In fact, our state grant funding has been cut by 75 percent, with more cuts possible. To continue to serve the number of kids we currently have, we need to make up for that lost funding."
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Butler County helps boys and girls (most of whom are considered at risk and live in single parent homes) achieve their full potential through long-term personal relationships with carefully screened and caring volunteers. In 2009, the agency made 65 new matches and served 144 kids, which accounted for part of the program's 60 percent growth since 2006.
Kids who are matched are less likely to use drugs and alcohol, are less likely to skip school, and are less likely to use violence compared to their unmatched peers. Additionally, New research shows that as adults, former Littles are more likely to graduate from college and earn significantly more than children with similar backgrounds who were not matched.
The greatest need county-wide is for Big Brothers and Big Couples who are willing to work with boys. There are many more boys on the waiting list than girls.
For more information about Big Brothers Big Sisters or Bowl for Kids' Sake, call 321-7763 or visit www.butler.kansasbigs.org/home.aspx.
El Dorado, Kan. —
