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Big Brothers Big Sisters host annual bowling event at Best Western

April 27, 2017   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

The fact that Orangeville no longer has a bowling alley hasn’t stopped the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dufferin and District from holding their annual Bowling for Kid’s Sake fundraiser.

They just switched to a virtual bowling alley with Nintendo Wi style bowling on a screen instead of an actual alley.

The event has been going on since the 1980s and is a major fundraiser for the organization which pairs kids with older adult mentors.

This year the event was held over two days, Friday, April 21, and Sunday, April 23, at the Best Western hotel in Orangeville.

“It started at the old Orangeville bowling alley in the 80’s,” explained Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dufferin executive director Nancy Stallmach. “This is the newest incarnation – Wi bowling. We’ve been doing it here for the past five or six years.”

Around 70 teams of players turned out this year and rotated games through several Wi setups in the hotel’s ballroom.

“People come in for a game of bowling and prizes,” Ms. Stallmach said. “People collect pledges and we also have sponsors and a silent auction.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters is an organization that matches children with a caring adult mentor.

Locally, the Dufferin chapter served 285 children in their area. The program also reaches out through school programs.

“There has been a research study that showed kids (who need the service) who had a big brother or big sister were more likely to graduate from high school, to go on to post secondary, to be employed. It’s like planting the seed for something,” Ms. Stallmach explained. “We all remember when growing up, people who helped along the way. It’s a huge benefit.”

This year, organizers are hoping to raise around $43,000 during the bowling event.


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