Bowl for Kids’ Sake raises over $150,000
This year’s Bowl for Kids’ Sake fundraiser’s theme was “Sports Tailgate Edition.”
People from all over Gallup came out to support Big Brothers Big Sisters Mountain Region on April 27. In an interview with the Sun, BBBS Mountain Region Managing Regional Director Sarah Piano said 75 teams participated in this year’s event, and as of May 2 the organization has raised over $150,000.
Teams were encouraged to wear sports-themed attire, and to take that however they wanted to. Some teams came decked out in jerseys or the T-shirts BBSS provided, while other teams took things to the max, dressing up as sports equipment.
Piano explained that in order to register for the event, each team had to raise at least $500, but many teams went above and beyond that. The top three teams who raise the most money received a gift basket full of a variety of goodies. Pinnacle Bank, for example, raised $5,000. The bank had three teams bowl this year.
In an email to the Sun, the bank’s Assistant Vice President Melissa Rodriguez said she really enjoyed the event.
“It’s always a fun event and we enjoy doing it to help raise money for the kids of our community,” she said.
The program has proven to be beneficial to Littles; according to the Big Brothers Big Sisters Mountain Region website, 90% of kids who participate in BBSS as Littles are more likely to do well in school, 46% are less likely to abuse drugs, 89% are less likely to make bad decisions, and 91% feel better about themselves.
Donations are necessary for the program to survive.
In a 2021 interview, Piano said 60% of the group’s support comes from donations, while the remaining 40% is from state funding and grants. Individuals can stop by the office to drop off donations or make monetary donations on the website, at bbbsmountainregion.org.
Piano has been a part of BBSS for 16 years now, and she said one of her favorite parts about her job is seeing the kids’ progress. Some of the former Littles even come back to become Bigs when they grow up.
Another reason Piano loves her job is because of the sense of community it brings.
“I’m huge on community, and this organization provides community for a lifetime,” she said.
There’s still time to donate to the event, the fundraising website, which can be found on the BBSS’s Mountain Region’s website, will be open for a couple more weeks.
BBSS’S MISSION
Positively impacting the lives of Littles continues to be a goal for BBSS. The program is a one-to-one mentoring program designed to ignite the biggest possible futures for youth.
“This program is valuable to the community because there are so many young people looking for a positive role model to encourage them, spend time with them and show them new possibilities,” Piano said in a 2021 interview.
Becoming a mentor takes four to six hours a month, but it makes a big impact in the life of a young person. Big Brothers Big Sisters Mountain Region requires mentors to undergo a background check for the safety of the program.
The program has proven to be beneficial to Littles; according to the Big Brothers Big Sisters Mountain Region website, 90% of kids who participate in BBSS as Littles are more likely to do well in school, 46% are less likely to abuse drugs, 89% are less likely to make bad decisions, and 91% feel better about themselves.
Donations are necessary for the program to survive.
In a 2021 interview, Piano said 60% of the group’s support comes from donations, while the remaining 40% is from state funding and grants. Individuals can stop by the office to drop off donations or make monetary donations on the website, at bbbsmountainregion.org.
Piano has been a part of BBSS for 16 years now, and she said one of her favorite parts about her job is seeing the kids’ progress. Some of the former Littles even come back to become Bigs when they grow up.
Another reason Piano loves her job is because of the sense of community it brings.
“I’m huge on community, and this organization provides community for a lifetime,” she said.
There’s still time to donate to the event, the fundraising website, which can be found on the BBSS’s Mountain Region’s website, will be open for a couple more weeks.
Staff Reports
