The community is rockin’ and bowlin’ for local kids this week.
Rock 'n' Bowl for Kids Sake started Monday night, and the fundraiser to support Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orillia and District will continue at Orillia Bowl until Thursday. The final day of bowling, April 16, will be at the Coldwater Bowling Centre.
“It’s our main fundraiser. It’s also our main awareness event,” said James Maxwell, executive director of the local agency. “For us to get in front of all these people and share our story with them is very important to us.”
The message seems to be resonating. Last year, Bowl for Kids Sake attracted 326 participants. This year, almost 380 are expected to take part.
“We’re reinvesting every single dollar back into the programs,” Maxwell said.
The increased participation is important to an agency whose needs are also growing. Two years ago, the local organization served 250 kids. Last year, it provided services to 367.
Big Brothers Big Sisters has something to celebrate this year.
“This year was the first time since I’ve been here (more than 10 years) that we’ve eliminated the wait list for the in-school programming,” Maxwell said.
There is still a wait list for its community-based programs, however, and volunteers are always needed.
“We need more resources all around — physical and financial,” Maxwell said.
He noted there are about 1,900 kids in the area who are from single-parent families. While the agency doesn’t solely serve children who have that family dynamic, it does help a lot of them.
“Every child needs a positive role model,” Maxwell said.
Volunteers who spend time with the children can play an important role in their future, he added.
“It’s more than spending time with a child. It helps us with preventative measures and (recognizing) risky behaviours and attitudes, and the mental health side of it,” he said. “The long-term impact of volunteering and donating is huge.”
There is still time to help out. Those who can’t make it to one of the bowling sessions (every day until Thursday at Orillia Bowl, from 5 to 7 p.m., and April 16 at the Coldwater Bowling Centre from 5 to 7 p.m.) can donate online. Find out more here.
