Feature Story

**This story is a feature news story for my communications course. It has not been published in any form other than this blog**



Bowling to make a difference

Do you like to bowl? Do you have friends who like to bowl? Get together teams of five people and help make a difference in the lives of thousands of children and adolescents. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee is holding their annual Bowl For Kids Sake to help raise money for the organization. Volunteers must form teams of five, and each member must raise at least one hundred dollars or more for the cause. That’s not a lot if you ask friends, family, and co-workers to help by donating five or ten dollars to a worthy cause.

The Bowl For Kids Sake 2009 website urges you to raise the money and “then join us for a big 'thank you' bowling party with free food and bowling, prizes and contests—all for a great cause!” The website also gives some tips on how put your plan into action to form a team and to raise your hundred dollars quickly and easily:

Get together a five-person team and pick a party date in February, March or April.
Register your team on this web site (www.gobowling.kintera.org) or by calling 414-258-4778 ext. 226.
Raise at least $100 per bowler—that’s just $10 from 10 friends, family members or co-workers!
Enjoy two FREE games of bowling, shoe rental, T-shirt, food and prizes at your bowling party!

How to Raise $100 in 5 Days
Day 1 - Put in your own $20
Day 2 - Ask 3 family members for $10
Day 3 - Ask 3 friends for $10
Day 4 - Ask 2 neighbors for $5
Day 5 - Ask 2 co-workers for $5Your Total = $100!

Denise McChesney, Tasha Foxx, and Amanda Tortorice of Alverno College are participating in the BFKS 2009 on April 4th at Sunset Lanes in Waukesha. These three ladies are also working with the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization for the spring 2009 semester for their Management 412 Business Practicum class.

The group has been assigned to help participate and plan fundraisers as well as raise money for the organization this semester. The money raised helps to match thousands of children with adult mentors, recruit and screen the mentors, provide ongoing, professional support for the children and mentors, and to help support after-school mentoring programs at 16 sites.

McChesney, Foxx, and Tortorice encourage other Alverno students and friends to join the BFKS 2009 and make a difference! They also encourage Alverno students to think about becoming mentors for children with Big Brothers Big Sisters. “Big Brothers Big Sisters is always looking for adult mentors, but minority male adult mentors are especially needed right now to pair with children,” McChesney said.

The official website for Big Brothers Big Sisters describes the organization as “the oldest, largest and most effective youth mentoring organization in the United States. We have been the leader in one-to-one youth service for more than a century, developing positive relationships that have a direct and lasting impact on the lives of young people. Big Brothers Big Sisters mentors children, ages 6 through 18, in communities across the country.” According to the Bowl For Kids Sake 2009 website, Big Brothers Big Sisters matched over 2,300 children with adult mentors in 2008, but there are still thousands of children waiting to be matched.

“National research has shown that positive relationships between youth and their Big Brothers and Big Sisters mentors have a direct and measurable impact on children's lives,” according to the official Big Brothers Big Sisters website, and children and adolescents who are able to participate are: more confident in their schoolwork performance, able to get along better with their families, 46% less likely to begin using illegal drugs, 27% less likely to begin using alcohol, and 52% less likely to skip school.

Get ready to raise some money and have a good time bowling for a cause that’s worth it. The remaining dates for the Bowl For Kids Sake 2009 are March 27 from 6:00-8:30 P.M. at AMF West Allis, April 4 from 12:30-3:00 P.M. at Sunset Lanes in Waukesha, and April 24 from 6:00-8:30 at AMF West Allis. Have fun and make a difference all at the same time.

For more information on how to contribute to Bowl For Kids’ Sake 2009 or to form a team, go to www.gobowling.kintera.org, and for more information on Big Brothers Big Sisters or to inquire about becoming a mentor, go to www.bbbs.org.