The weather has been outstanding so far this spring!  Why not take advantage of the all of the sunshine, and support a great cause at the same time.  Join us on Wednesday, May 5th at Legends on the Niagara golf course for a great tournament!  Only $125 per person, which includes golf, cart, driving range, and a post round reception.  We are working together with our friends at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Fort Erie to raise much needed funds to help us match children with caring volunteer mentors.  For more information, visit http://www.niagarafallsmentors.org/en/Home/Newsroom/Newsroom.aspx

And we hope to see you out there!  Be sure to register your spot now, as room is limited.

Two male students were matched with their Mentors this morning. Despite the snow storm and bus cancellations - these little guys made it to school to meet their In-School Mentors. What a great way to end the week!!

Thanks to the amazing support and on-going efforts of our Go Girls! Mentors, we are currently have 50 girls participating in the Go Girls! program.

Schools currently running are Forestview, Father Hennepin, St. Mary, Heximer Avenue, James Morden, and Cherrywood Acres.

The St. Mary Catholic School Go Girls! program started this evening. The girls were enthusiastic and excited for the opportunity to participate in this program. So excited in fact, that 11 of the 13 girls in the grade seven class signed up. What a turn out!! Way to GO GIRLS!!

Every year, Niagara Falls Big Brothers Big Sisters hosts the largest bowling party in Niagara Falls - the Tim Hortons Bowl For Kids Sake.  This important campaign supports our efforts to match children with caring volunteer mentors -to ensure that every child in Niagara Falls in need of a mentor, has a mentor.  As we don’t receive any committed government funding, we must fundraise over 75% of our annual operating budget. 

That’s what makes our Tim Hortons Bowl For Kids Sake campaign so integral to the success of our efforts to support the youth in our community.  It’s the only time each year that we go out to our community and ask those caring citizens to raise funds on our behalf. 

You can still help us!  Yes, we have filled most of the lanes for our 2010 Tim Hortons Bowl For Kids Sake, which is coming up on February 20th at Cataract Lanes.  But there are still a number of ways you can help out:

1 - Put your team together and let us know what time you would like to bowl!  We still have a few spots left at 5, 7, and 9 p.m.

2 - Sponsor a lane!  We have a variety of sponsorship opportunities for those businesses and corporations that want to show their support for the children in our community.

3 - Donate to somebody you know that is participating!

To learn more about the impact of the money invested in our youth, watch this video to hear from some people who have been involved with our Mentoring Programs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTohIRhLOwY

Your support can make the difference -find out more at www.niagarafalls.kintera.org/bowlforkids

One of my Go Girls! Mentors sent me the following email after her first session,

“Everything went well. I really liked the group and the school was well equipped. The girls were opening up and laughing. When they were leaving one girl said to a parent “we were having too much fun we didn’t want to leave”. That was nice to hear and I am excited to go back next week.”

Congrats mentors!! Keep up the great work!!

Every fall, hoteliers across Niagara Falls provide rooms to residents of the Niagara Region at a significantly reduced rate, and donate these funds to the Sleep Cheap, Charities Reap program.  This year, the initiative raised over $113,000, and will be supporting organizations such as the Niagara Community Foundation, Distress Centre Niagara, and Niagara Falls Big Brothers Big Sisters.

We are so excited about being chosen as a recipient this year!  The funds raised will help Niagara Falls Big Brothers Big Sisters provide more caring volunteer mentors to the children and youth in our community.  A huge thanks goes out to all of the local hoteliers, the Sleep Cheap Committee, and to Councillor Jim Diodati, for all of their efforts.

This is just one great example of the collaborative effort of many having a huge impact on the charities in our community…it’s what makes Niagara Falls so special.  Thanks again!

Thanks to our dedicated Go Girls! Mentors we are running a record number of groups this winter!! Six to be exact! We are running at Forestview and Father Hennepin, and we are scheduled to start programs at Cherrywood Acres, James Morden, St. Mary, and Heximer Avenue before the end of February.

A little girl from our waitlist at Father Hennepin School was matched on Friday with her In-School Mentor. She and her mentor hit it off - quickly learning of their shared love of birds!!

One hour - once a week - thats all it takes to make a difference in the life a children. Consider becoming an In-School Mentor to one of the two dozen children currently waiting.

So pleased to see that the Tim Hortons employees across Niagara have embraced our annual Tim Hortons Bowl For Kids Sake!  Found out today that there are 67 Tim Hortons teams already registered to participate in a campaign in their community across the region! 

Thanks to all of you for your support - and we couldn’t ask for a more caring corporate sponsor!