Big Brothers Big Sisters of Athens County will be playing host to its 19th annual Bowl For Kids' Sake at Rollerbowl Lanes on Sunday.
Bowl For Kids' Sake is a bowling tournament that raises money for BBBS. Ohio University students and Athens residents form teams of four or five people that are asked to raise or donate $250 before participating in the tournament.
The event is part of a two-month campaign, said Amy Reinhardt, director of the Athens County BBBS.
Bowl For Kids' Sake used to be a one-day event
but now it is part of a campaign that runs from February to April she said. It is the largest effort to raise money locally for BBBS.
The agency was founded in Athens in 1986 and places children from single-parent homes with volunteers who serve as role models and organize activities.
The campaign aims to recruit new volunteers to become big brothers or big sisters, create greater awareness about mentoring and raise at least $40,000 for the Athens chapter, Reinhardt said.
Most of the money is raised by community members who participate in the bowling Reinhardt said. We also receive contributions from many Athens-area businesses.
Support from the Ohio University Credit Union, 90 S. Shafer St., was instrumental in expanding the campaign, Reinhardt said. The credit union has sponsored Bowl For Kids' Sake for four years, and almost all employees participate, said Melanie Stoncel, an accounts payable clerk.
Each employee tries to recruit a team
Stoncel said. We believe it's important to raise money for BBBS because there are so many Athens County children who could benefit from the program.
Bowl For Kids' Sake raised $38,000 for BBBS last year, Reinhardt said. She also said that the number of registered teams is slightly higher than last year.
Seventy teams have already registered, and usually about half a dozen are made up of OU students, Reinhardt said. One student group, Friends of Big Brothers Big Sisters (FOBBBS), which supports local BBBS branches, is helping to organize Bowl For Kids' Sake.
OU students should participate in Bowl For Kids' Sake because it allows them to directly help children in Athens County
said Julie Kaercher, co-president of FOBBBS and an OU junior. Other fundraisers benefit the national BBBS organization
but the money raised through Bowl For Kids' Sake goes directly to the Athens County Branch.
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Ashley Herzog
