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Big Brother Alan Cohen Climbed Mount Kilimanjaro for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay

By In The News

Alan has been a Big Brother for over 10 years and set out on his excursion to raise money and awareness for the organization

 

Big Brother Alan Cohen was matched with his Little Brother Sir about 10 years ago when he retired from a career in information technology. He has been a dedicated Big Brother and supporter of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay’s mentoring programs. After going on a safari in Tanzania five years ago, he decided to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest freestanding mountain and fourth tallest mountain in the world, at 19,341 feet above sea level.

After years of planning and months of strenuous training, he and nine friends flew to Tanzania in July 2018 to embark on the eight-day trek – 6.5 days up and 1.5 days down the mountain – to raise money and awareness for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay.

Due to the lack of oxygen at the high altitude and the danger of the climb, it was necessary for Alan’s group to hire 39 local guides who assisted with carrying food, water, and necessary supplies that were needed for the expedition. Throughout the trip, Alan bonded with the guides who began to refer to him as “Babu” or grandfather. As the group approached the summit, the guides reminded them to go slowly, taking it one step at a time (“Pogo Pogo”) as altitude sickness due to lack of oxygen would begin to set it.

When they reached the summit, Alan snapped a photo with a Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay flag to commemorate his journey. Through his hard work and determination to complete this climb, Alan raised $2,200 to benefit our mentoring programs.

The Annual Big Celebration

By Match Events

Bigs & Littles from all seven counties attended this match event at the Museum of Science & Industry

 

Each year, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay hosts the Big Celebration for our matches. This event is an opportunity for Bigs and Littles from across our seven counties to get together and enjoy food and fun with each other. This year we had over 200 matches in attendance and the event was a hit!

The celebration was an evening at the Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI) sponsored by Outback Steakhouse and TECO. Matches enjoyed all the exhibits that the museum had to offer, including a hurricane wind machine, a virtual reality ride, and a mock mission to the moon. Matches enjoyed tacos catered by Fuzzy’s Taco Shop and cookies from Blondie’s Cookies.

The Big Celebration is also a time for matches to catch up with their Match Support Specialists who help facilitate the relationship between Bigs and Littles.

Thank you to MOSI, Outback Steakhouse, TECO, Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, and Blondie’s Cookies for empowering potential in our Littles.

Join us as a defender of potential » https://bbbstampabay.org/be-a-big/ 

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay Unveils New Brand Positioning Aimed at Volunteer Recruitment

By In The News

New brand look emphasizes the potential inherent in all children

 

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay, along with more than 270 Big Brothers Big Sisters affiliates across the country, today unveiled a new, modern look and brand repositioning with a goal of recruiting more diverse volunteers.

“The need in Tampa Bay for young people to have a role model is more urgent than ever,” said Stephen Koch, President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay. “To attract more volunteers of all generations, we needed a modernization of our brand to make an impact in the community and meet the need of the essential work of matching youth with mentors.”

Months of research, including focus groups with potential Bigs — as well as current Bigs, Littles, donors, staff, and leadership – showed the former brand was not effectively connecting with younger, prospective mentors or conveying the urgent mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters. The organization is now intentionally pivoting from messages of the importance of mentoring, to messages of the urgent need for the adults in the community to step up to defend the potential of every child. The mission will remain the same, as will the core model of building bridges in communities by connecting one adult with one child and supporting that match at every stage. But the organization will focus on a child’s potential, and our role as adults in helping children achieve their best possible futures.

“In our community, we know that youth are facing numerous challenges. Our organization’s new brand is designed to help us ensure we can serve more children in Tampa Bay by recruiting more volunteers,” said Koch.

The brand repositioning and new look are just the beginning. In the coming year, Big Brothers Big Sisters will also transition to a new, modern, nationwide technology system, participate in new training, and use the new positioning to refocus efforts on recruiting local volunteers.

Learn more about the new brand positioning, the logo or messaging, or how to get involved at bbbs.org/bigpotential. Share the new look and follow updates on the Big Brothers Big Sister of Tampa Bay Facebook page, as well as onTwitterLinkedIn, and Instagram. Join the conversation using the hashtags #DefendingPotential and #BBBSTB.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay’s 20th Annual Art of Helping Children Gala

By Fundraising Events

The annual fundraiser brought awareness to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay while transporting guests to a magical evening in Oz.

Click here for pictures.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay celebrated their 20th Annual Art of Helping Children Gala fundraiser at Hilton Tampa Downtown to help raise funds and awareness for their mentoring programs in the local community through sponsorships plus a silent and live auction.

This year’s theme was “Our Big Night in Oz”. An estimated 650 guests were transported to a beautiful Emerald City-inspired room with the night’s programs centering around the classic 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz”. Attendees were greeted by actors portraying the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, Glinda the Good Witch, and of course- Dorothy.

The evening began with guests mingling and bidding on the silent auction with their mobile devices, and VIPs enjoying a special bar hosted by Republic National Distributing. Once guests were seated in the main ballroom for dinner they were greeted by the all-powerful Oz and interactive program on the video screens.

President and CEO, Stephen Koch, welcomed guests and thanked our Premiere and Big VIP sponsors with a very special video from kids in the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay mentoring program, called Littles. He and Board chair Richard Salazar also took the time to thank Board Members and Board Member Alumni for their commitment providing children facing adversity with professionally supported, one-to-one mentoring relationships that will change their lives for the better, forever.

The program continued with highlights featuring Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay’s newest mentoring programs. Nine new corporate partners for the School-to-Work program were recognized and they will spend time mentoring high school Juniors and Seniors in the workplace during the 2018-2019 school year. He also announced our newest mentoring program kicking off this fall called “Big Futures” to help Littles who have graduated from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay’s mentoring programs be successful in college, their professional life, and beyond.

After dinner, Stephen Koch took the stage again to recognize the Bigs & Littles of the Year, Jessica Carter/Angie and Michael Ferrone/Tavoris. Then Brian Auld, President of the Tampa Bay Rays, highlighted the importance of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay’s Bigs In Blue program where local law enforcement personnel spend one-on-one time mentoring a child at a local school for one hour per week. Brian then asked for the audience to invest directly in the programs and collected an impressive number of personal donations, close to $250,000!

An exciting live auction took place to raise critical funds for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay’s youth mentoring programs. Live auction items included a meet & greet with Tampa Bay Buccaneers player Lavonte David, a wine weekend at Hidden Oak Inn Bed & breakfast in Sonoma – complete with private tastings with boutique winemakers, a day bass fishing with professional fisherman Darrell Davis, a stay in a multi-million-dollar home in Bermuda, and a mystery vacation where you choose the destination. After an evening of performances, auctions, a fabulous dinner, and inspiring programs, the evening ended with dancing to Lucky Penny band or more relaxed mingling in the after-party lounge sponsored by Sprinkles Cupcakes.

Thanks to all who attended the event and all the sponsors for making this amazing event a reality!

Want to help make an impact in the lives of children in the community? Donate to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay today!

And a very special thank you to our Premiere and Big VIP Sponsor!

 

Premiere Sponsors

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Big VIP Sponsors

Broadrick Family Foundation

Cohen Family Foundation

Pamme & Joel Taylor

StevenDouglas & Darrell Davis Fishing

USA Ambassador Pageant

100 Men in 100 Days

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay Launch their 100 Men in 100 Days Campaign

By In The News

The 100 Men in 100 Days campaign encourages men in the community to become mentors to the many boys that are on Big Brother Big Sisters of Tampa Bay’s waiting list.

 

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay recently launched their annual 100 Men in 100 Days campaign. The goal of this campaign is to recruit 100 men in the greater Tampa Bay area to become mentors, or Big Brothers.  Right now, they have more than 500 kids on their waiting list who need a Big Brother or Big Sister and most of them are boys.

From September 1st through December 9th, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay will be sharing stories on social media about Big Brothers and Little Brothers in their programs and how being a part of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay has made an impact in their lives. By sharing these stories, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay hopes to break down barriers for men who want to become Big Brothers but are unsure about what being a mentor really means.

Whatever you enjoy, you can bring your Little Brother with you. Not only will you make an impact on his life, your life will be changed, too.

Find out how you can make a difference in a child’s life by becoming a Big at bbbstampabay.org/be-a-big/

 

To be a part of the 100 Men in 100 Days conversation, follow Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay on social media. You can share your stories about being a Big Brother or Little Brother by tagging Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay and using the hashtags #BeBig and #100Men100Days.

Facebook » www.facebook.com/BigBrothersBigSistersofTampaBay

Twitter » @BBBS_TampaBay

Instagram » @bbbs_tampabay

LinkedIn » www.linkedin.com/company/big-brothers-and-big-sisters/

BBBS PSA

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay Earns Awards for Public Service Announcements

By In The News

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay, along with HPC Associates and 22Squared, earned awards this year for PSAs and ads created to bring awareness to the nonprofit agency.

 

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay collaborated with HPC Associates and 22Squared to create public service announcements and ads that would bring awareness, funds and volunteers to the organization. Thanks to their collaborative efforts, the agency won awards for these fun and unique videos.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay and HPC Associates were named the winners of the Award of Distinction at the 22nd Annual Videographer Awards for producing a public service announcement (PSA) regarding the new Big Brothers Big Sisters’ statewide vanity license plate. The Award of Distinction is awarded for projects that exceed industry standard with approximately 16 percent of entries receiving the award.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay’s Director of Marketing and Communications, Claire Selius said, “The PSA takes a tongue-in-cheek approach to being a mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay (BBBS) and was created in collaboration with HCP Associates to bring awareness to our statewide specialty license plate program.” For each license plate that is sold, Big Brothers Big Sisters receives $25 to help kids across Florida.

You can view the PSA here.

Earlier this year, the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay and the ad agency 22Squared won the Positive Change Bronze Effie for their work on the Florida Man Project. The ads aimed at recruiting much needed male mentors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay by using click-bait style headlines featuring the wacky “Florida Man” that has become synonymous with weird news from the state.

The ads took the Florida Man concept and made it into a positive, featuring videos of Florida men who are making an impact in the community by being a mentor. The videos encourage other Florida men to make Florida proud by becoming a Big Brother. The ads successfully increased the number of applications for male volunteers.

You can learn more about this advertising method with a short video here.

View all the ads from the Florida Man project here.

Bigs in Blue Summit Shows Positive Impact Law Enforcement Personnel are having on Kids in our Community

By Bigs in Blue/Bigs with Badges

Bigs in Blue is a new mentoring program where law enforcement personnel spend one-to-one time mentoring a child at a neighborhood school.

 

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay, in collaboration with school districts and local law enforcement agencies, has launched a new mentoring program called Bigs in Blue. Officers/deputies and non-sworn law enforcement personnel spend one-to-one time mentoring a child at a neighborhood school, for one hour a week.  In addition to helping a child achieve academic success, the goal is to break down barriers and build trust between communities and law enforcement.

This year, we hosted our Inaugural Bigs in Blue Summit on Thursday, July 19th, featuring an interactive panel discussion that shared best practices for the new mentoring program and discussed the reasons Bigs in Blue can be so effective and impactful. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay is encouraged by the initial results of this program at the Tampa Police Department, including stronger relationships and a decrease in juvenile delinquency. The summit was a way for the community to come together to examine the influence this program is having on not only the children in our community but also the law enforcement personnel that volunteer as mentors, and to discuss Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay’s goal to expand this program throughout our seven-county service area. We believe these mentoring relationships will help change perceptions and bring communities together.

The panel featured experts in education and mentoring, juvenile justice, community leaders, and law enforcement personnel, including Jane Castor, former Chief of Tampa Police Department; Anthony Holloway, Chief of St. Petersburg Police Department; Andrew Warren, State Attorney for the 13th Judicial District; Eli Vazquez, Assistant Chief of the Tampa Police Department; Dr. Riaan van Zyl, Director of the USF School of Social Work; and Tina Young, Executive Director of Project LINK.

Officers in the Bigs in Blue program have been excited to share their stories. They have begun to see the positive impact they are having on kids in the community. Tampa police Detective and Big Brother, Shane Gadoury, said, “When you’re a police officer, a lot of times, you deal with 1 percent of people who are negative. You can get cynical. Ninety-nine percent of our interactions are with that 1 percent. That’s why I want to continue to do this. Being in the neighborhood with the kids, you get to see how good people are.”

Watch the full panel discussion on our Facebook Page. 

Thank you to the sponsors of our inaugural Bigs in Blue Summit!

         
     
Bank of America
Caspers Company
Fee & Jeffries, P.A.
Julie Weintraub’s Hands Across the Bay
The Marketing Posse
MetLife
Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP
TECO
Vince Pavese

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay’s Big Sister & Little Sister of the Year Throw the First Pitch at “Rays Up Night”

By In The News

Jessica & Angie threw the first pitch and accepted a grant on behalf of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay at the Tampa Bay Rays game on Friday, June 29th, 2018.

 

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay was once again invited to attend the Tampa Bay Rays’ “Rays Up Night”. The annual “Rays Up Night” is an evening where the Tampa Bays Rays highlight the amazing work they are doing in our community as part of the Rays Community Foundation.

Prior to the start of the game, Tampa Bay Rays’ President, Brian Auld, presented Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay with a $50,000 grant to support our mission, which is to provide children facing adversity with professionally supported, one-to-one mentoring relationships that will change their lives for the better, forever. As part of the Tampa Bay Rays partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay, Rays employees volunteer at the nearby Campbell Park Elementary School as Big Brothers and Big Sisters, bringing their Littles to Rays games throughout the season.

After the grant presentation, Big Sister & Little Sister of the Year, Jessica and Angie, went out to the field to throw the first pitch prior to the start of the game. Jessica and Angie then had the opportunity to head up to the media booth for an interview with Steve Carney of the WDAE 620 AM radio station, the flagship station for the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team.

Jessica and Angie later joined a few of our Matches and Board Members in a special suite to enjoy the game with refreshment catered by the Tampa Bay Rays. During the 7th inning, the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay suite was featured on the jumbotron and everyone sang “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”!

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay is proud to be a partner of the Tampa Bay Rays and the Rays Community Foundation! Thanks to their support, we will be able to pair more children in our community with caring mentors that will positively impact their lives.

View the photo album from “Rays Up Night” here.

Top Bowl For Kids’ Sake Fundraisers Were Thanked with a VIP Bowl Featuring Special Guest Mallex Smith of the Tampa Bay Rays

By Fundraising Events, In The News

Each year, fundraisers who raise the most money for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay get the chance to meet and greet with a Rays player at our annual VIP Bowl For Kids’ Sake event.

 

Bowl For Kids’ Sake is Big Brothers Big Sisters’ signature fundraiser, raising over $200,000 annually for children in need across Tampa Bay. Bowl For Kids’ Sake is a fun and easy way to positively impact a child’s life. Because of Bowl For Kids’ Sake, more Bigs and Littles can be paired up, more friendships can be created and improved outlooks on life can be started. Participants in this annual fundraiser recruit a team of people to help collect donations and fundraise for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay, then celebrate their hard work fundraising at a bowling party!

Each year, top fundraisers for Bowl For Kids’ Sake are invited to a special VIP bowling event hosted by the Tampa Bay Rays at Pin Chasers Midtown as a way to show our appreciation for their dedication to fundraising for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay. The VIP Rays event features bowling, pizza, raffle prizes, a silent auction, goodie bags, t-shirts, a signed baseball, and the chance to meet a Tampa Bay Rays player! This year, Mallex Smith, outfielder for the Rays, attended the event. After an introduction by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay CEO, Stephen Koch, Mallex greeted the crowd and thanked everyone for their amazing support of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay! Each team got the opportunity to meet Mallex and have their picture taken with the Rays star. Everyone was so excited to be able to personally speak with Mallex as he took his time shaking the hands of each person in attendance and even bowled a few frames. The Tampa Bay Rays street team was there to give away prizes such as 20th Anniversary baseballs, t-shirts, cups, and stickers. There was even a special appearance by Raymond, the Tampa Bay Rays mascot!

The Rays VIP Bowl For Kids’ Sake event is one that all our fundraisers look forward to each year. They strive to be a top fundraiser to be a part of this special invitation only bowling event!

There is still time to support Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay by donating to the Tampa Bay Rays Bowl For Kids’ Sake fundraising page here.

View the full photo album from the event here.

View the slideshow video from the event here.

Congratulations to the Graduating Class of 2018!

By Match Events

We celebrated our Littles that are graduating from high school with a ceremony at Sunken Gardens.

 

Bigs, Littles & their families celebrated the graduating class of 2018 this past week with a very special graduation ceremony at Sunken Gardens in St. Petersburg, FL. This year, we had 85 Littles in our program who were graduating from high school with over 40 of the Littles in attendance at the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay ceremony. Along with their Bigs and family, the event was a packed house with over 150 people there to show their support for our graduates.

The evening kicked off with a delicious spread of pasta, salad, and bread from Carrabba’s Italian Grill. As guests nibbled on their dinners, our guest speaker Bob Conigliaro of Caspers Corporation gave out words of wisdom for our graduates, reminding them that hard work and a positive attitude will lead to success. His words were so inspiring that many Bigs and family members said that they were also moved by his speech.

After the special guest speaker, Scholarship Committee member, Gerry Goldhammer, and our own Senior Vice President of Programs, Jennifer Libby, presented awards to the two Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay scholarship winners, Timia Fonville (Boca Ciega High School) and Kiara Stevens (Boca Ciega High School). Then our School-to-Work Coordinator, Dallas Ruffin, recognized our School-to-Work Scholarship winners who received their awards at our School-to-Work graduations earlier this month. Yonjer Suarez (A. P. Leto High School), Dalila Maceda (A. P. Leto High School), Sky Kinzinger (Clearwater High School), Jordan Curtiss (Clearwater High School), Tristan Trombley (Northeast High School), and Emily DaSilva (Northeast High School) were all recognized for their outstanding work and for being chosen as our School-to-Work scholarship recipients. Jennifer Libby also took the time to recognize Alexander Marcano (Clearwater High School), who was chosen to be one of only 20 Minor League Baseball Rising Star Students. Alexander was recognized at the Clearwater Thresher’s game on June 1st where he had the opportunity to throw the first pitch and was also awarded a scholarship.

Each graduate was called to the podium to be recognized for their achievements and receive a certificate from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay for graduating from high school and from our mentoring programs. They were each awarded a monogrammed pen and pencil set with the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay logo, a token of remembrance for the special time spent with their Big Brothers and Big Sisters.

A special thank you to Caspers Corporation for sponsoring the event for the third year, Carrabba’s Italian Grill at Sunken Gardens for their generous dinner donation, and Winn-Dixie South Tampa for the beautiful cake.

View the photo album from the evening here.

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