The 25th annual Big Brothers and Big Sisters Bowl For Kids Sake was a success on Saturday as lanes were packed with people who came out to raise money to support the local chapter of the organization, which serves four area counties.
Melissa Davis, executive director of Big Brothers and Big Sisters, said the agency serves Lyon, Coffey, Chase and Morris counties. Participants formed bowling teams and raised money. The entry fee was $400 for four to five members, Davis said. Many teams exceeded that amount. The event is the largest fundraiser of the year for the organization. The total raised was not available this morning.
“This is our only major fund raiser,” Davis said.
The money raised goes toward the organization’s programs which include programs such as the one-to-one mentoring program; the school-based mentoring program and the Friends Club, which includes kids that are on a waiting list.
Craig Black of Emporia has been a board member for eight years. He was at the event on Saturday.
“It’s our signature event,” Black said. “It makes you feel good to be a part of it. It’s good to see a wide variety of people. There’s a good cross-section of the community here. It’s good to have (them) show up.”
Larry Putnam of Emporia has served a total of 11 and a half years on the board. Putnam said Big Brothers and Big Sisters is a United Way agency and the success of the organization hinges on United Way funding. He said the Bowl For Kids Sake event allows the organization to do more. The organization has 2 1/2 staff members, Putnam said.
“It’s whether we can keep staff members or not,” he said. “If you don’t have staff members, you don’t have services.”
Just before the event started Saturday afternoon, the bowling team, “The Fab Five” was gearing up for the event. They were sitting behind their lane laughing, talking and writing the name of their group on the towels that came with their registration packet. This is the first year the group has gotten together to participate in the event. The group included Angie Thompson and Judy Gordon, both of Strong City; Jill Thompson and Janet Tastove, both of Cottonwood Falls and Rebecca Turner of Emporia. The group raised more than $700, they said.
“We’re really proud,” Jill Thompson commented as the group talked about how much money they raised.
The Fab Five decided to get together after Jill Thompson saw the event online and decided it would be fun.
Luke Gitchel, 13, of Emporia, was gearing up before the event, too. Gitchel came out as a part of “The Green Team.” Gitchel bowled in a league this year and was invited by friends to participate in Saturday’s event.
“My friends invited me out to help them bowl,” Gitchel said.
Gitchel said he has a little brother through church and knows what mentoring is all about.
Other members of The Green Team are Leah Torrens, Kyle Long and John Stephens, all of Emporia. The group raised a total of $428, Torrens said. Torrens has been a big sister with the program since March, she said.
“I heard about it and I was really interested,” Torrens said. “So I signed up.”
Many kids in the area are on a waiting list for the various programs, Davis said.
“We need you, our kids need you,” Davis said, of volunteers. “Our kids need mentors.”
Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer can call the office at 342-5645.