
January 24, 2025 · 0 Comments
By Paula Brown, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dufferin and District are giving Dufferin residents the opportunity to help give local youth a “brighter future” with the return of one of their most well-known fundraising events.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dufferin and District have announced the return of their Bowl for Kid’s Sake fundraiser, which will be held on March 21 at the Best Western Hotel in Orangeville.
“We’re very excited here at Big Brothers Big Sisters, to be bringing the event back again. It’s a great way for us to connect with the community, and the community has been very supportive and very kind to us over [the] decades we’ve run this event,” said Nancy Stallmach, executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters Dufferin.
The Bowl for Kids’ Sake fundraiser is an event the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dufferin and District have been hosting since 1980 and helps raise money to support local mentoring programs.
The last time the event was held was in 2019 after the event was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In an interview with the Free Press, Stallmach spoke about the significance of the event as a fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters.
“[At] Big Brothers Big Sisters, we don’t get a lot of government funding. We really rely on the community to help support us with fundraising events and donations to be able to stay in existence,” said Stallmach.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dufferin and District has a goal of raising $20,000 through Bowl for Kids’ Sake.
Stallmach noted that the money raised will fund their various mentoring programs that match local children facing adversity with a caring mentor.
The Bowl for Kids’ Sake event on March 21 will consist of 14 virtual bowling lanes in the ballroom of the Best Western hotel, created using Wii consoles and projector screens. Groups will have one hour to play Wii Bowling and time slots for noon and from 4 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.
The theme of the event is St. Patrick’s Day and participants are encouraged to dress up for the “Best Costume” contest.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dufferin and District have space for a total of 70 teams.
“Back in the heyday of doing it, we would get about 300 people coming through during the event,” recalled Stallmach. “We’re not sure if we’ll have quite that response the first year doing it again, but we’re hoping we’ll have a really good response.”
Those interested in taking part in the Bowl for Kids’ Sake fundraiser can register by visiting the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dufferin and District’s website.