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May 14

We Celebrated 50 Years of Serving Children in Pinellas County

By In The News

Since 1968, we have been pairing children in Pinellas with caring mentors that change their lives for the better, forever.

 

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay celebrated our 50th anniversary in Pinellas County with a reception May 10 at the Feather Sound Country Club.  Since 1968, we have been providing children facing adversity in Pinellas County with professionally supported, one-to-one mentoring relationships that changed their lives for the better, forever

Former CEO of BBBS Pinellas County, Susan Rolston, with her Little Brother, Morgan

A beautiful soiree began with mingling over drinks and hors-d’oeuvres while guitarist and former Little Brother, Corey McHugh, played classical guitar. During the reception, a historical tribute video was played to celebrate the individuals who made the past 50 years in Pinellas County possible, including Legacy Society donors, Henry & Gerry Goldhammer; former Big and Little, Frenchy & Jason; the first Executive Director of Big Sisters of Pinellas County, Susan Stanton; and founder of Big Sisters of Pinellas, Sweet Alice Young. Many former board members, Bigs, and Littles from back in the day were in attendance, making the event feel like a reunion. It was wonderful to hear stories from former Bigs and Littles about how their lives were transformed by being in the program. Former Chief Executive Officer of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Pinellas County, Susan Rolston, was honored at the reception. Susan had been CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Pinellas County for over 13 years prior to the agency merging with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay. A scholarship was dedicated in honor of Susan and her late husband, Jim, for their commitment to the program. Susan’s previous Little Brother, Morgan, even made a surprise visit.

The evening was closed with a champagne toast to all the hard work and dedication of those who have made the last 50 years possible! Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay looks forward continuing our mission in Pinellas county and know that many lives have been touched along the way.

 

View the photo album for the Pinellas 50th Anniversary Reception here.

May 03

We Celebrated the Graduating Class of 2018 with our School-to-Work Program

By Match Events, School-to-Work

Seniors with our School-to-Work mentoring program enjoyed graduation ceremonies as they leave Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay to pursue their futures.

 

This week, we celebrated the graduating class of 2018 with graduation ceremonies for the 45 Littles in our School-to-Work mentoring programs. The School-to-Work program is a three-way partnership between the local school districts, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay and our corporate and community partners to provide one-on-one mentoring in the workplace for high school juniors and seniors to help improve graduation rates. The students (Littles) visit the workplace of the employees (Bigs) one morning each month during the school year for about four hours. They spend the first hour learning post-graduation skills, then spend one-on-one time with their corporate Bigs through lunch before returning to school.

Littles from our school partners — Northeast High, Clearwater High, and Leto High — met with their Bigs at USAmeriBank, St. Pete-Clearwater Airport, and Nielsen for their final visits of the school year to celebrate their growth and success in our School-to-Work program. At each graduation ceremony, keynote speakers such as the Mayor of Oldsmar, Doug Bevis, and Pinellas County Administrator, Mark S. Woodard, were invited to talk to the Littles about their futures, inspiring the students with words of wisdom and well-wishes. At each graduation, two graduating seniors were awarded scholarships based on essays they had written about their futures and how the School-to-Work program has positively impacted their lives.

The graduations were full of joy and excitement as the Bigs & Littles looked back over the past two years in the School-to-Work program. The seniors who will be leaving the program were enthusiastic about their futures, many attending college and hoping to one day fulfill their career paths. Some of the seniors even hope to return to their School-to-Work sites to work after they finish school.

Best of luck to the graduating class of the 2018 School-to-Work program!

 

View the photo album for the Northeast High & USAmeriBank graduation ceremony here.

View the photo album for the Clearwater High & St.Pete-Clearwater Airport graduation ceremony here.

View the photo album for the Leto High & Nielsen graduation ceremony here.

Apr 17

Donate to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay on Give Day, May 1st

By Fundraising Events

Give Day Tampa Bay is an annual 24-hour online giving challenge that calls for residents of the greater Tampa Bay area to donate to their favorite local charity on May 1st.

 

Give Day Tampa Bay is an annual 24-hour giving challenge presented by the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay. Give Day returns for its fifth year on May 1st, 2018 and is a wonderful opportunity to support local causes in the greater Tampa Bay area, building stronger communities and ultimately making the neighborhood where you live, work and play a better place. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay will be participating in this annual giving challenge and we want you to show your support!

Last year, over 500 local charities participated in Give Day. With so many wonderful nonprofits to choose from, know that your donation to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay has a life-long impact on the lives of children in our community. Each dollar raised provides children with strong, enduring, professionally supported, one-to-one mentoring relationships that change their lives for the better, forever. During Give Day 2017 we raised over $18,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay. We are challenging our supporters to raise even more in 2018!

Give Day comes around once a year and although Give Day is on May 1st, you can make your donation to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay as early as April 17th. It doesn’t matter how much you give, donations start as little as $5! So what are you waiting for? Make your donation today!

Donate to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay for Give Day here.

Apr 11

Buccaneers Player Lavonte David Supports Annual Bowl For Kids’ Sake

By Fundraising Events

Bowlers who came out to Pin Chasers Midtown on April 8th to support Bowl For Kids’ Sake got the chance to meet the Buccaneers player.

 

Bowl For Kids’ Sake is Big Brothers Big Sisters’ signature fundraiser, raising over $200,000 annually for children in need across Tampa Bay. It’s 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.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers player Lavonte David came out on Sunday, April 8th to Pin Chasers Midtown to show his support for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay’s Bowl For Kids’ Sake. Fundraisers got the chance to meet the player and get their photos taken with the linebacker. Lavonte David even took the time to bowl a few frames while speaking about the importance of supporting the one-to-one mentoring relationships that Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay provides children in our community.

During the event, Lavonte David was presented with a thank you gift from our Matches for providing tickets to every Buccaneers home game during the 2017-2018 football season. Lavonte also went Live on the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay’s Facebook page calling for others to support our mission of providing children facing adversity with strong, enduring one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever.

Thank you to Lavonte David and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for being such great supporters of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay!

Many bowlers donated $54 (or more!) to this important fundraising campaign in honor of their favorite Buccaneer, #54 Lavonte David. It’s not too late to help make a BIG impact – donate now at www.bbbstampabay.org/bowl

View Lavonte David’s Facebook Live video here.

View all of the photos from the April 8th Bowl For Kids’ Sake event here.

Mar 12

AmazonSmile Tripling Donations on First Eligible Purchase during March

By In The News

When you shop through AmazonSmile a portion of your purchase can be donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay

 

Did you know that you can donate to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay while you shop with AmazonSmile? If you are not aware, then the month of March is the perfect time to make your first purchase! From March 12-31, 2018, Amazon’s donation platform, AmazonSmile, will TRIPLE donations to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay on your first eligible purchase.

For your purchase to qualify for the donation, you must select Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay as your preferred non-profit when you visit smile.amazon.com. Look for “Eligible for AmazonSmile donation” on the product details pages of eligible products. AmazonSmile is only available on desktop or mobile browser. AmazonSmile is currently not available through the Amazon app.

Now is your opportunity to triple your impact! Start shopping with AmazonSmile today and give back to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay at smile.amazon.com/ch/59-2173085

Mar 11

Partnership with the Glazer Children’s Museum Offers Free Entry

By Match Events

Glazer Children’s Museum is excited to continue free entry to our Matches for the month of March.

 

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay and Glazer Children’s Museum are excited to announce that the museum is offering free entry to our Matches for the month of March! Starting on March 11, 2018, Bigs & Littles that are interested in visiting the Glazer Children’s Museum may do so for free by showing their Match ID card at the Guest Services counter. This offer will last through March 31, 2018.

Glazer Children’s Museum, founded in 1986 and located in Downtown Tampa, is a “learning laboratory” where children are encouraged to learn through play. The museum features exhibits such as fort building, Lego engineering, art exploration, imaginative play and much more. During the month of March, Glazer Children’s Museum hosts their “Math + Music” exhibit featuring drum circles, musical performances and math challenges.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay’s matches won’t want to miss this opportunity to explore, play and learn for free at the Glazer Children’s Museum.

Learn more about the museum at their website, https://glazermuseum.org/

Feb 19

Join us for Bowl For Kids’ Sake!

By Fundraising Events

Bowl for Kids’ Sake is Big Brothers Big Sisters largest national fundraiser, raising over $20 million annually for children in need across the country. 

 

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. Just follow the simple steps below:

1) Start a team – Teams are formed with five or six members. Consider creating a team with family, friends, fraternity brothers, sorority sisters, or co-workers. Register your team and see the available bowling dates and locations at www.bbbstampabay.org/bowl

2) Start securing sponsorship  – Most bowlers raise about $170, but many people raise over $1,000. What impact do you want to have? The best part is that all of the event expenses are underwritten by our corporate sponsors. That means 100% of the money raised by bowlers goes directly towards supporting children served by Big Brothers Big Sisters in your community.

3) Start bowling  – After you have secured your sponsorships, it’s time to have fun! You’ll receive two free games of bowling (shoe and ball rental included!), a Bowl for Kids’ Sake t-shirt, food, drinks, chances to win door prizes!

So what are you waiting for? Start your team today! Partnering with Big Brothers Big Sisters through Bowl for Kids’ Sake makes a positive, long-lasting impact on children in your community. Our mentoring works. It works to help broaden children’s perspectives and help them learn how to make good choices. It starts a child on the path to fulfilling their potential and succeeding in school and life.

For questions contact Josh Hagg 813-769-3614 or JoshH@BBBSTampaBay.org.

Register your team today at www.bbbstampabay.org/bowl

Feb 15

Our 2018 Bigs & Littles of the Year

By In The News

Each year we select a Big Brother & Little Brother and Big Sister & Little Sister to be Big & Little of the Year

 

We are excited to announce our 2018 Bigs & Littles of the Year for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay! Each year we select a Big Brother and Big Sister match to represent our organization. The selection process involves matches being nominated by their Match Support Specialist, then sending the finalists to a selection committee comprised of Board members and corporate and community partners.

Big Sister Jessica & Little Sister Angie have been matched for over 3 years, ever since Jessica moved to Tampa from New York at age 20. Jessica was excited to be a Big Sister to Angie “to share all the values I learned growing up and to be able to make a difference in someone’s life.”

“This relationship has truly touched me,” Jess said. “I feel like I’m not only a mentor and role model to her, but also a true friend. I am usually a fast-paced person and juggle a lot of things in my everyday life. But with having Angie as my Little Sister, I have learned to slow down and enjoy the simpler things in life. The joy she has when she accomplishes something she didn’t think she could do is overwhelming and truly humbling. Her excitement for life has renewed my own sense of joy.”

“She has shown me that I can be comfortable with being myself no matter what,” said Angie, who likes to go roller skating with Jess while wearing matching costumes or hats. “Jess has impacted my life so much. I am so grateful to have her as a Big Sister.”

You can watch Big Sister Jessica & Little Sister Angie’s Big & Little of the Year video here.

Big Brother Michael & Little Brother Tavoris have been together more than 5 years, getting matched after Michael moved to Tampa following his graduation from the University of Connecticut. “I came here knowing that it was my turn to try and open doors for other people,” he said. “Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay was a perfect fit.”

When they first met, Tavoris was shy, had some struggles in school and occasionally would misbehave. Now his report card is full of As and Bs, and he and Michael have made several speeches together, once addressing a crowd of 500 adults. “If Michael was never in my life, my whole life would be different,” said Tavoris. “My school grades would not be as good as they are right now. My attitude would be different. My personality would be way different. Michael is a big part of my life.”

You can watch Big Brother Michael & Little Brother Tavoris’ Big & Little of the Year video here.

If you are interested in becoming a Big Brother or Big Sister, find out more information here.

 

Feb 11

Nominate your favorite generational mentoring movie for a chance to win!

By In The News

Gen2Gen, a national organization that matches senior citizens with youth mentors, is hosting the Movies and Mentors competition

 

Who is your favorite movie mentor? Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid? Yoda in Star Wars? Movie mentors are an integral part of movie culture. That is why Gen2Gen, a national organization that matches senior citizens with youth mentors, is hosting the Movies and Mentors competition.

All you have to do is nominate your favorite movie featuring a Gen2Gen mentoring relationship. Once you have nominated your movie you will be entered to win $500 in movie tickets! Not sure how to choose your favorite? Host a watch party where you can watch your favorite Gen2Gen mentoring movies with your friends! It’s a great opportunity to talk about intergenerational mentoring while choosing the best movie to nominate. You can nominate your favorite Gen2Gen mentoring movie here. The deadline to nominate your movie is February 22nd. Voting for the top pick will run from March 6th-March 27th, and winners will be announced on April 10th!

If you think mentors only make a big difference on the big screen, hear about this Match with Big Brothers Big Sisters

Growing up with an abusive father, Roy vowed that he would be different — a promise he kept with his own kids. But when his two sons left home, Roy found the nest awfully empty. He babysat for his three granddaughters, served at his church, and took up new hobbies, but nothing seemed to fill the void.

After reading about Big Brothers Big Sisters in the paper, Roy decided to sign up. He was matched with Cahill, a 12-year-old boy with Asperger’s Syndrome who often struggled with social interactions.

Despite some awkward outings at the beginning, the two ended up bonding over superheroes and video games, enjoying time at the lake and trips to the state fair together. Roy watched Cahill’s attitude change from “I’m only doing this because my parents are making me” to excitedly bursting out the front door whenever his truck approached.

Five years later, at age 17, Cahill still enjoys spending time with Roy. “What began as an attempt to find purpose in my life,” Roy says, “has evolved into what might become a life-long friendship between Cahill and the ‘dude.’”

Nine million young people are growing up without a mentor in their lives. You can make a big difference for one of them. Learn more about becoming a Big here.

And don’t forget to nominate your favorite Gen2Gen mentoring movie!

Feb 09

Do you have what it takes to go Over the Edge?

By Fundraising Events

Raise money for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay for the opportunity to rappel down the Hilton Downtown Tampa hotel!

Over the Edge is a fundraising organization that partners with nonprofits like Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay, to host rappelling events at buildings around the world. If you are a thrill seeker then this is the event for you! To join participants must pledge to raise $1500, which is the cost of maintaining a match between a mentor and mentee (Big & Little) for one year. This year’s event is sponsored by CALE America & Paradise Ventures.

No experience is necessary to participate. Prior to rappelling for Over the Edge, you will have the opportunity to practice your technique and have a trainer walk you through your first few steps over the side of the Hilton Downtown Tampa. If you are an expert rock climber, be warned – this is not your typical rock climbing rappel! You will be strapped into a full-sized industrial harness and will use an industrial descender. But don’t worry! You will be given a radio so that you can communicate with the trainers and technicians as you enjoy the view on your way down.

There will be 76 spots available to those who meet their $1500 fundraising goal. After you register here, you will be given all of the support you need to fundraise, including your own dedicated fundraising webpage, more information about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay, an informative strategy guide on how to maximize your donations, sample donation request letters, and more! There is no age limit to participate, if you are under 18 you need a signed waiver from a parent or guardian, and you must be between 100 & 300 pounds to participate. Be prepared, as the training and paperwork will take 60-90 minutes, but once you begin your descent the rappel lasts 10 to 15 minutes.

Do you think you have the guts to go Over the Edge? Then click here to register!

Still have questions or want to be a sponsor? Contact Dawn Kuhn at dawnk@bbbstampabay.org  or call 727-351-4669.

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