Big Brothers Big Sisters looks to fundraiser to fill funding gaps

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BigBrotherBigSisterWheeler7671 Big Brothers Big Sisters of Marion County continues to raise money for its local program and, at Saturday?s Art in the Park, representatives were letting people know about a handmade quilt drawing.

According to director Jackie Rice, Karen Wheeler, one of the board members, made a quilt for the drawing.

?All of the money raised from the quilt will stay in Marion County to fund the overall program?matching kids with carefully screened volunteer mentors,? Rice said.

The quilt drawing will be in conjunction with the group?s Winter Jam Nov. 27 in Marion.

?We will also have a silent auction and soup supper from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.,? she said, ?and will be serving homemade soups and cinnamon rolls.?

During the auction, Rice said interesting items wil be available.

?We are asking local artists to decorate bowling pins donated by SherBowl Lanes in Marion,? she said. ?There are plenty of bowling pins that need to be decorated and volunteers are wanted.?

The bowling-pin auction is also the kickoff for the organization?s largest fundraiser, Bowl For Kids Sake in February and March.

The bowling pins can be decorated with any media the artist chooses.

Funding down

Like so many non-profit organizations, Rice said, BBBS has lost a lot of grant funding over the past two years because they were not funded by the Kansas Legislature.

?We have added projects like the quilt, the silent auction and the soup supper to help make up that funding,? she said.

The Marion County program serves more than 60 children. The number of kids served is directly tied to the funding available, Rice added.

?The Big Brothers Big Sisters Program makes a real lasting and significant difference in the lives of children facing adversity,? she said.

The mission of BBBS is to provide children facing adversity with a strong one-to-one relationship, Rice said.

Studies show that children who are matched with a big brother or big sister are:

? 46 percent less likely to use drugs (70 percent for minority youth);

? 27 percent less likely to use alcohol;

? 52 percent less likely to skip school; and

? 33 percent less likely to use violence to resolve problems.

Children age 5 through 17 are eligible for the program.

?They can come from various cultures and backgrounds,? Rice said.

A large percentage of these children are from single-parent homes, have no parent in the home, live in poverty or have one parent incarcerated.

For more information about the program, or to help with bowling-pin art, call 316-215-1596.

?We will get the bowling pins to those interested so they can create a masterpiece for the Big Brothers Big Sisters auction,? she said.

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