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BBBS of Tampa Bay

Nov 06

The Art of Helping Children Gala Brought Awareness to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay

By Fundraising Events 34,477 Comments

The Big Gala was an opportunity for fundraising, philanthropy and fun!

The 19th annual Art of Helping Children Gala at the Hilton Tampa Downtown was once again a huge success! Thanks to the 600 attendees and USAmeriBank, the evening was full of excitement.
The theme “Big”, based on the 1988 Tom Hanks film, allowed the adults let loose and act like kids! Upon entering the Gala guests were greeted by Zoltar the Great and could get their fortunes read. The VIP room showcased large floor pianos for everyone to enjoy. Dinner tables displayed toys and games as centerpieces. The ballroom was transformed into an elegant playroom with video games, foosball and a ping-pong table!

To kickoff the evening Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay’s CEO, Stephen Koch, was recognized for his 15 years of commitment to changing the lives of children facing adversity for the better, forever. The silent auction lasted through dinner and was closed with a performance based on the popular scene from “Big” where the characters Josh and MacMillan play a duet on the large floor piano in the world-famous FAO Schwarz toy store.

After dinner, Big Sister Laura/Little Sister Carrie and Big Brother Oscar/Little Brother Jarell from the Youth Ranch mentoring program shared their story about being matched and spoke about how the experience has changed their lives in positive ways. Then Brian Auld of the Tampa Bay Rays shared the numbers that show why mentoring matters, such as 98% of our Littles move onto the next grade level. He then called for donations so that Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay can continue to make positive changes in lives of children in our community!
The evening closed with a live band and smooth dance moves.

Thanks to all that 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!

Oct 07

Dream Big, Be Big with our Community Mural

By In The News 31,795 Comments

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay partnered with the SHINE St. Petersburg Mural Festival to create a community mural that will leave a lasting impact.

The community of St. Petersburg came together to support Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay in creating a 90-foot mural in Childs Park. In collaboration with the SHINE St. Petersburg Mural Festival, local artists Derek Donnelly and Chad Mize, the St. Petersburg Leadership Council, and the Florida Dream Center, the “Dream Big Be Big” mural was the kickoff event for the ten-day festival that highlights the power of public art all over Downtown St. Petersburg.

Thirteen Big/Little matches participated in making this mural a reality. Prior to the event, the Matches received a lesson in the techniques of muralism while brainstorming the greater idea of what it means to “dream big”. Empowering youth through art, the mural included imagery symbolizing what it means to be bigger than oneself with illustrations of hearts, animals, and words of positivity included in the painting. On the day of the event, friends, family, and community leaders, including the Mayor of St. Petersburg Rick Kriseman, took part in the painting the mural, truly making this a symbol of the neighborhood’s comradery and goodwill.

This project sincerely inspired not only the Bigs and Little who participated but also the community that came together to create this life-long impression on the park and all those who will visit the mural in the future.

Want to get involved with projects like this? Mentor a child with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay!

Sep 21

The BIG Celebration was a BIG success

By Match Events 33,262 Comments

Matches from all over our seven counties attended our largest annual Big/Little event at the Florida Aquarium, sponsored by Bloomin’ Brands.

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 to get together to enjoy food and fun with each other. This year we had over 200 matches in attendance. Some had only been matched for a few weeks, others had been matched for over ten years!

The celebration was an evening at The Florida Aquarium. Matches got to hang with the fish and chow on catered delights graciously donated by Bloomin’ Brands. The adventurous types were seen petting stingrays while others donned boas and masks for the photo booth. Everyone took turns waving at divers in the shark tank and taking guesses at the size of the Goliath grouper.

The BIG Celebration is also a time for matches to meet with their Match Support Specialists. These specialists help facilitate relationships between Bigs and Littles. Some Match Support Specialists came up with fun activities for their matches to do while at the event such as a deep-sea scavenger hunt!

A huge thanks to our sponsors, The Florida Aquarium and Bloomin’ Brands, for making this event possible. Good times were had and memories were made!

Want to make a lasting difference in a child’s life? Learn how to become a mentor today!

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