Bowl for Kids Sake Raises More Than $16,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of McKean County

A total of $16,711 in funding to support mentoring in McKean County was raised by bowlers and local businesses during the 2011 Bowl for Kids’ Sake event, held April 2, 2011 at Byllye Lanes in Bradford. 181 people bowled during the event, which is held annually to raise funds for Big Brothers Big Sisters of McKean County. Funds are used to support local matched pairs, children waiting to be matched, and for program promotion and development.

Many ‘veteran’ teams returned to bowl in support of the program and there were also many new teams who came to the event to raise money for a good cause. Children and Youth Services of McKean County brought eight teams consisting of staff, youth, and participants in the Independent Living Program. The group was led by Breanne Abbott, Independent Living supervisor, and assisted by members of Alpha Phi Omega, a service fraternity from the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. Participants donned bright orange T-shirts, and showed off their team spirit by performing the “Cupid Shuffle” on the lanes in between bowling games. One young man who raised over $200 on his own was awarded a $50 Wal-Mart gift card. The CYS teams bowled from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Two additional sessions – the Family Bowl and the Night Bowl – came later in the evening. Several team members from the later flights had fun at the event by wearing creatively decorated T-Shirts, or coming to the event with a team theme, such as wearing head to toe camouflage.

There is no sustainable public funding stream to support local mentoring programs, making Bowl for Kids’ Sake the largest and most important annual fundraising event that supports local Big Brothers Big Sisters programming in McKean County. The fundraiser builds capacity for local sustainability and 100% of the money raised stays in McKean County to support mentoring services for local children.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of McKean County currently serves seventy-one children in the community based mentoring program. Of that number, twenty-four children are matched with a mentor with forty-six still waiting. In addition to the community-based mentoring program, county caseworker Annie Johnson administers a school-based program in the Otto-Eldred School District, which serves forty children by pairing them up with a high-school “Big” during part of the school day for tutoring, games, and positive peer interaction.

More than seventy local and regional businesses donated money, prizes, food, or in-kind services for the event, and every bowler collected at least $35 in donations. Those who contributed more than $50 received a Big Brothers Big Sisters t-shirt. Three local residents collected the most money for the event. First place went to Brenda Bloomgren who received a $100 Kwik Fill gas card, a GPS unit, and two gift certificates from the Kane Country Club and Golf Course. Second place went to Scott Bloomgren who received a Canon digital camera, a $25 Walmart Gift Card, and a gift certificate from Togi’s Restaurant in Bradford. Third place went to Pam Eschrich who received a gift basket from Orris Jewelers and a $25 gift certificate from Proper’s Greenhouse in Bradford.

Participants won prizes ranging from restaurant gift certificates, Wooly Willy games, and amusement park tickets for bowling strikes, wearing their Big Brothers Big Sisters tattoos, and hula-hooping. Prizes were donated by local and regional businesses.

If you are interested in becoming a mentor and making a difference in the life of a child, call The Guidance Center’s Big Brothers Big Sisters program toll-free at 1-877-776-1636.