Fundraising Events

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

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Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay celebrated their 20^th 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

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 1^st.

 

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 1^st, 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 1^st, you can make your donation to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay as early as April 17^th. 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.

Bowlers who came out to Pin Chasers Midtown on April 8^th 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 8^th 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 8^th Bowl For Kids’ Sake event here.

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

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.

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!