News Room
Big Brothers Big Sisters Celebrates National mentoring Month
1/9/2012
MIAMI – December 21, 2011 – This January Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami kicks-off National Mentoring Month, a nation-wide awareness campaign promoting mentoring and the extreme need for mentors in South Florida. With more than 700 children on its waiting list, BBBS’s month-long campaign celebrates real-life mentors who are actively working with children in the community. The goal of the campaign is to recruit hundreds of volunteers willing to work with kids through local mentoring agencies including Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami.
Events during the month of January will honor National Mentoring Month and kick off the 100 Men in 100 Days Initiative. The goal is to recruit 100 male volunteers from January 1, 2012 – April 9, 2012. Male and especially minority, male mentors are greatly needed.
Events include:
Sunday, January 15, 2012 Paddle Board Championship
The Orange Bowl Paddle Championship strives to be the largest urban water event in the country. This year’s event will attract the world’s top competitors in paddle boarding as well as hundreds of amateur participants. All funds raised by the event will go to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami to fund mentorship activities in the area. The Paddle Board Championship will take place January 14th and 15th, 2012 at Bayside Marketplace - Downtown Miami and will feature 7 Mile Elite and 3 Mile Recreational Courses, on January 15th from 11:00am to 2:00pm. Highlights also include a $5000 First Place prize for both Men's and Women's Elite Divisions, and a free clinic for Bigs and Littles.
Friday, January 27, 2012- Community Engagement Breakfast
Julie Grimes, Managing Partner, Hilton and Christopher Hill, JP Morgan will host a Corporate Networking & Engagement Breakfast. Come learn how your company can develop tomorrow’s leaders and future workforce. Join us on January 27th from 8:30am – 9:30am at the DoubleTree Grand Hotel in Miami, Florida.
Sunday, January 29, 2012 – Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon
One of the focal points of National Mentoring Month takes place on January 29th when Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami will hold its annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon at the Hyatt Regency in Downtown Miami. This fun-filled celebration for mentors and their mentees will take place from 12:00pm – 3:00pm with special guest Sandra L. Heller, Mrs. Florida 2011.
Big Brothers Big Sisters CEO Lydia Muniz says, “This is such an exciting array of events and we are so grateful for the broad range of community support we are receiving. Mentoring is all about people helping people-what could be more positive?”
About Big Brothers Big Sisters
Big Brothers Big Sisters is the oldest and largest youth mentoring organization in the United States is now celebrating its 100-year anniversary. The national organization consists of more than 500 agencies serving a population of 250,000. BBBS of Miami, founded in 1958, is one of the largest local agencies in the country, serving more than 6,000 local children, volunteers and families through professionally supported, one-to-one relationships with caring adult volunteers. Studies show that children paired with a “big” for at least a year are less likely to skip school, use drugs and alcohol and initiate fights. For information about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami, visit www.wementor.org or call (305) 644-0066.
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