Photo courtesy of Big Brothers Big Sisters.
The ABC West Lane bowling alley parking lot was filled to capacity with cars of all makes and models.
A sea of adults, teens and children swirled around them, their necks lit with glow sticks while they ate pizza, chips and chocolate bars. They walked around in pink shirts printed with a tuxedo pattern on the front and the words ‘Big Brothers, Big Sisters’ on the back. The lights above the lanes went dark when the announcer began to speak. “Are you ready to roll?” she asked. “Are you ready to bowl? Well, let’s knock them down!” With that the fundraiser began. The sound of plastic colliding with plastic echoed above the country music and the participants’ excited chatter.
Since 1981, the Big Brothers, Big Sisters program has provided role models for children, keeping them on the straight and narrow. Their “Bowl for Kids’ Sake” event brings people from Cumberland, Dauphin, Lebanon and Perry counties to raise money for the program. During the three-month-long event, participants set a fundraising goal of $200,000. On good days they can bring in as much as $24,000. Companies such as Mid Penn Bank, AmeriChoice, and Hossome Steak and Sea House provide financial support and help raise awareness about the program. They even supply treats for the fundraisers—Mid Penn Bank, for example, brought cake.
The money supports the program’s best-known service, making matches between ‘Bigs’ and ‘Littles’—adults and the young people they mentor. Each Big and Little team has the opportunity to form lifelong friendships. Researchers have shown that involvement in the program makes participants 46 percent less likely to begin using illegal drugs, 27 percent less likely to begin using alcohol and 52 percent less likely to skip school, according to the Big Brothers, Big Sisters website.
Olahna Lynch, 10, and her ‘Big,’ Alecia Ganter, have been together since last November and love every interaction they have together. Although they haven’t done much outdoors yet, due to winter’s dragging on, they have seen movies and gone to Ganter’s house to make slime and cookies.
“I just think that any kind of positive influence in the community and someone else’s life, someone to talk to, is a great thing. I just want to help,” Ganter said. “As long as I live here I’ll be with Olahna, and I don’t plan on moving any time soon.”
Tyshaun Kearney and Andrew Dickerson, Jr., have been together since last September. The two have played basketball and video games, gone to the movies, and played on trampolines. Kearney’s grades were already exceptional, but they have improved since he and Dickerson were paired.
For Dickerson, his mentorship is truly about being a big brother, and not just a role model. “I don’t have any brothers,” Dickerson said. “For me it’s just trying to be there for somebody who needs a male figure. I’m honored to be able to do this.”
Justin Gourley and Bobby Bamks have been together for only five days but are looking forward to playing sports together and getting to know each other. Bamks plans to do as much physical activity as possible together. “He’s into sports, so am I,” he said.
The night advanced with an energetic atmosphere all the way through. By the time the participants started leaving, the event was estimated to have raised more than $11,000. “Bowl for Kids’ Sake” will continue through the months of April and May.
Tierra Woodford is a sophomore at Capital Area School for the Arts in downtown Harrisburg. To learn more about the “Bowl for Kids’ Sake” event, or to find information about becoming a mentor, visit capbigs.org.
