Karen Forster
Equinox Staff
Bowling, friends, food and fun—but more importantly, the most successful of fundraisers through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, which provides generous donations towards an important cause. Bowl for Kid’s Sake brought a new light to Yankee Lanes in Keene on Sunday for the annual community event. Employee at Yankee Lanes, Cecelia Fairchild, explained the successfulness of the event, “It went very well, I love it when people come out for private events and see individuals consensually giving money to a good cause and fundraiser both willingly, genuinely and entirely.”
Fairchild said she believes that the Big Brothers Big Sisters program is a successful and important program; she has even considered becoming a Big Sister herself, “It’s an amazing organization, just providing mentors for children who may not have that role model or adult figure to look up to otherwise, it gives them that.” Fairchild also said how this type of event really helps to bring the community together at Yankee Lanes. “We’re already a very family oriented place so having something like this definitely adds to that, I mean it just reinforces that by bringing the community together even more so than it already does. It’s simply friends and families coming together for a really good cause and organization.”
Program Manager for Big Brothers Big Sisters, Julianne Manchester, also said how this type of fundraiser is what truly helps the program to continue, “This is our biggest fundraiser, we try and get teams together throughout the community to come and bowl, bring donations, participate in raffles, and have fun while still giving back to the cause.”
The Big Brothers Big Sisters program began in 1904, and according to their website, their mission statement states, “The mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is to make a positive difference in the lives of children and youth, primarily through a professionally-supported one-to-one relationship with a caring adult, and to assist them in achieving their highest potential as they grow to become confident, competent and caring individuals.” The program is the nation’s largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network.
Big Brothers Big Sisters website also explained the importance of just how much they are needed, especially those facing troubled homes families and adversities, “We target the children who need us most, including those living in single parent homes, growing up in poverty and coping with parental incarceration. Starting something begins with finding a great match between a Big and a Little.” A “Big Sister” within the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, Bethany Zingaro, said she really enjoys being a part of the program and helping out a great cause, “I think it’s just important, no matter where children come from, what they may or may not have, it’s essential for anyone to have someone to look up to, and just be there to talk to.”
Zingaro also explained the importance of events and fundraisers like Bowl for Kid’s Sake. “Not only is it great to have people in the community come together for a great cause, but it really helps you to step back and see genuine people in the community around you and be willing and happy to be a part of it.” Manchester said all raffle prizes are donated and all money raised by each team goes directly to the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and that anyone is able to create a team and be a part of the event. To learn more about the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and their Community Fundraisers such as Bowl For Kid’s Sake, their office is located at 168 Castle St. in Keene, NH.
Karen Forster can be contacted at kforster@keene-equinox.com
