As the brothers and sisters of Ohio University students pour into Athens, they can help contribute to the local chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters.
College Book Store, located at the corner of Union and Court streets, will donate 20 percent of this year's Sibs Weekend T-shirt sales to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Athens, said Andrew Stout, a managing partner at College Book Store. The goal is to raise $1,000, donating $2 for every $10 shirt, Stout added.
Big Brothers Big Sisters is a nationwide mentoring organization that offers support and advice to youth.
The bookstore has been donating T-shirt proceeds to local charities for two years, said Stout.
"What we do is, every quarter we take an event weekend and we make a philanthropy event out of it," Stout said. "We make a pledge that has some sort of synergy with what's going on that weekend."
For Homecoming Weekend in the fall and Moms Weekend in the spring, Stout said College Bookstore has donated money to the homeless and My Sister's Place, respectively. Stout also said that not only does donating to Big Brothers Big Sisters make sense in relation to a sibling-themed weekend, it ties in other ways, as well.
"One cool thing about Sibs Weekend, which makes it even more logical (to choose Big Brothers Big Sisters), a vast majority of the mentors in the local chapter of (Big Brothers Big Sisters) are actually college kids here at OU," Stout said. "So it's a big part of what college students are involved in."
As a locally owned business, Stout said it is necessary for College Book Store to make an impact in Athens.
"We're run right here. We feel like it's important to find a way to behave like a local company would behave," Stout said. "While philanthropy isn't all that entitles, that's part of it. We just felt like this was a good way to do it."
ph835608@ohiou.edu
