Summer 2012 - Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Simcoe

Executive Director’s Message
Summer is here, the Littles are starting their summer break, and
we ended another successful fiscal year on May 31 2012. We have
been busy in the process of repositioning the Big Brothers Big
Sisters movement across Canada. We worked hard with National
to have brand unity, and revamped our website with a common
brand that is now shared across most Big Brothers Big Sisters
agencies. Our agency is excited to “Start Something Big” – each
and every day we see new mentoring moments in our community.
In our fiscal year from 2011 to 2012, 96 children and youth
directly benefitted from one of our six core mentoring programs.
Thank you to our mentors who “Started Something” this past
year. What an incredible difference you all make!
In September we will launch a new program, Teen Mentoring,
which will go hand in hand with our In School Mentoring
Program. This launch is made possible with the contribution from
the Huronia Community Foundation and their grant of $1,000.
It will aid us to “Start Something Big”. I would like to extend a
heartfelt thank you to all of our generous donors and supporters
who have contributed in meaningful ways over the past year to
“Start Something”. We treasure the diverse ways that our
stakeholders support mentoring. We need everyone’s unique
contributions to truly make mentoring magic!
With our fiscal year for 2012 to 2013 at its debut, we need to have our
new “fun raising” in check! Most of you have heard about our
Dinner with the Simcoe Stars Fundraiser - please consider
purchasing a ticket. There will be three winners. Each winner will
choose a local celebrity and may bring up to three guests to dinner at
one of the restaurants featured in our booklet. Tickets are on sale now
until August 30 for $20 per ticket or three for $50. We will also be
hosting a Casino Night Fundraiser on Saturday August 25 at the
North Simcoe Sports and Recreation Centre in Midland. The cost for
attending the event is $75 per person. Please contact our office, or
visit our website at www.kidsdomatter.com for more details on these
fantastic new fundraising initiatives. With your participation, you will
help “Start Something Big”!
France St. Amour, Executive Director
Contact your Big Brothers Big Sisters staff at 705-526-5051
67 Fourth Street, Midland, ON, L4R 3S9
Visit our website at www.KidsDoMatter.com
Executive Director - France St. Amour - France@KidsDoMatter.com
Caseworker - Corinne Miller - Corinne@KidsDoMatter.com
Office & Vol Coordinator - Melissa Lawson -Melissa@KidsDoMatter.com
Big Sister Lisa & Big Brother Brett with
Little Sisters Morgan and Amber, and
Little Brothers Austin and Noah at the
Bowl For Kids Sake Outing
Big Brother Isaac with Little Brother
Zachary having fun making their own
mini pizzas at the Superstore Cooking
Class Outing
Big Brother Jason with Little Brothers
Brody, Landon, and AJ at the
Bowl For Kids Sake Outing
Matched Little Sister Ocean with her
Big Sister Candon, and Matched Big Sister
Big Sister Casey showing off their nicely Anita with her Little Sister Ashley making
decorated cakes at the Superstore Cooking
mini pizzas at the Superstore Cooking
Class Outing
Class Outing
Big Sister Candon and Big Sister Carole with
Little Sisters Isabelle, Carol-lyn, Brandy, and
Morgan having a BBQ lunch at the Midland Bay
Sailing Club’s Sail Past Outing
Little Brother Jack having a fun
time sailing at the Midland Bay
Sailing Club’s Sail Past Outing
Big Brother Craig with Little Brothers
James and Troy, and Little Sisters Alyssa
and Rydia at the Bowl For Kids Sake
Outing
2
Big Sister Sherri with Little Sister Ivory at
the Canada’s Wonderland Outing
First of all I would like to thank all of the families, volunteers, and staff at Big Brothers Big Sisters for making my transition to the caseworker position a welcome one. Over the past few months I have had the opportunity to meet and work with so
many wonderful and enthusiastic people it has made my job a pleasure to do. It has been especially fun to organize and participate
in the Big Bunch outings. Recent outings include a gym afternoon, an elaborate scavenger hunt/survival game, bowling, a cooking
class, and a trip to Canada’s Wonderland.
As the summer quickly approaches and many of the Littles experience that all too familiar feeling of freedom from
school, I hope to continue planning fun activities and supporting families and volunteers to the best of my ability. This summer
we can look forward to the annual Tag Day Drive and Beach Volleyball Tournament in August, and maybe even an outing. I am
always open to suggestions or ideas, so please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have one.
I have truly enjoyed seeing friendships develop and continue while participating in our programs. The happiness that seems
to radiate from each Little and Big reminds me of why we have these programs. While it may not always be obvious, I know the
relationships made through Big Brothers Big Sisters have a profound impact that can last a lifetime. Once again, thank you and
have a safe and happy summer!
Corinne Miller, Caseworker
**Please Note**
All Littles must be signed in and signed out at each outing by their parent/guardian, or Big.
Please do not leave your child at an outing without signing them in, and please sign them out before taking them home.
Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.
New Little Brothers & Little Sisters
New Big Brother
Isaac B.
New Big Sister
Leigh Ann R.
Austin C, Noah Z & Shaun D (above)
& Caleb P
Morgan Z & Phoebe R (above)
& Brooke P
We currently have 32
Little Brothers & 19
Little Sisters waiting to
be matched with a
Big Brother/Big Sister
Match Anniversaries
New Matches
3
Austin C. to Brett W.
Carol-lyn C. to Candon J.
Casey B. & Trista B.
1 year (July 28)
Ashley S. & Anita B.
1 year (August 17)
Cody C. & Craig L.
1 year (September 22)
Brandon B. & Dylan B. to Rolf H. & Judy H.
2 years (March 10)
Ocean M. & Casey W.
3 years (September 29)
Isabelle L. & Carole B.
3 years (November 05)
Tommy P. & Scott B.
4 years (May 06)
Nikita H. & Kathy M.
4 years (June 09)
Krystal G. & Holly P.
5 years (August 07)
Dalton H. & Jason H.
5 years (October 25)
Landon A. & Randy C.
8 years (March 14)
Jixi A. & Sheila B.
9 years (March 10)
Caitlin H. & Fran R.
9 years (May 13)
In March we had our most successful Bowl For Kids Sake fundraiser to date! Our final numbers are in, and a grand total of
over $23,000 was raised!! We couldn’t have done it without the help of our supporters - sponsors, bowlers, and pledgers.
Thank you to everyone who contributed!
A BIG Thank You to General Mills, who have been our Event Sponsor since 2003, and to Holly Gibb who raised an
outstanding $2,080!! Congratulations to Holly who won First Prize, a Car Detailing Package worth $250 donated by
Midland Honda, and J.P. Desroches of Knight Haven Bowling Lanes who won Third Prize, an iPod Docking Station
donated by The Brick.
Thank you to J.P. Desroches at Knight Haven Bowling Lanes for continuing to host our Bigs & Littles bowling outing.
Thank you to Pauline Brabant at Bayshore Lanes for continuing to host our two bowling nights, and to all the league bowlers
for raising funds. Thank you to Staples for printing 50 colour Bowl For Kids Sake posters.
Media Sponsors: The Dock, KICX FM, & The Mirror
Lane Sponsors: The Library Restaurant, Service Master, TIM-BR Mart, Tom Smith Chevrolet, ADCO Tire, Bell Canada,
Mink Insurance, Victoria Harbour Lions Club, Shopper’s Drug Mart Midland, Bruce Stanton M.P, Elmvale Lions Club,
Penetang Rotary Club, Tiny Trails Lions Club, and Dominion Lending Centres.
Teams: Port McNicoll Lions Club, Scotiabank King Street, Bruce Stanton M.P, Tim Hortons Penetang, Bell Canada,
Tiny Township Lions Club, Lawson’s team, Robitaille & Associates, Home Depot, Big Sisters Trista & Anita’s team,
Scotiabank Penetang, Scotiabank Huronia Mall, Royal Lepage, Image Salon, Avionics Design Services, Re/Max,
Victoria Harbour Lions Club, Big Brother Craig’s team, McQuirter’s team, and St. Amour’s team.
Prize Donors: Midland Honda, Napoleon Home Comfort, The Brick, TIM-BR Mart, H.S. St. Amant & Sons Inc, Valu-Mart,
Blue Sky Restaurant, Midland Toyota, Mom’s Restaurant, Boston Pizza, Minds Alive, McDonald’s, Dino’s Fresh Food Deli,
The Explorer’s Cafe, and Fresh Flowers by Leanne.
(Above) Midland Home Depot, a new team (Above) Scotiabank Huronia Mall has been
participating in Bowl For Kids Sake this
actively supporting Bowl For Kids Sake
year, did an amazing job of raising funds. for many years, and they continue to raise
Come back again next year!
an outstanding amount of funds.
(Above) Big Brothers Big Sisters Board President
Cindy McQuirter-Fairley presents Holly Gibb with
an award for her outstanding fundraising efforts
for Bowl For Kids Sake. Holly raised an amazing
$2,080! Cindy and Holly are accompanied by
Steve Masciangelo, Human Resources Manager.
and Andre St. Amour, Plant Manager of General
Mills, the Event Sponsor of Bowl For Kids Sake.
The outstanding fundraising efforts of individuals
like Holly, makes a BIG difference in the lives of
the children in our programs! Thank you!
(Left) Big Sisters Anita and Trista
(in white) with rest of their team,
having a lot of fun bowling!
Big Brother Craig created a team
with his Little Brother Cody too!
4
It’s great to see Big Brothers &
Big Sisters getting more involved
by raising funds for Bowl For Kids
Sake. It’s a fun night out with
friends, family, and co-workers!
We hosted our 4th Annual Amazing Rally on Sunday May 27. Thanks to all of our sponsors, donors, participants,
and pledgers we had our most successful Amazing Rally to date, raising $12,524!! It was a fun-filled day for everyone
involved, especially the 23 teams who participated and had a blast!
A BIG thank you to Avionics Design Services for being our Event Sponsor, and Nick Boudouris and Restaurant Sainte-Marie
for once again hosting the dinner and awards ceremony after the rally was complete. Thank you to all of our check point
volunteers for helping to make the day run smoothly.
Check Points: Royal Canadian Legion Branch 523 in Victoria Harbour, North Simcoe Veterinary Services,
Horseshoe Adventure Park, Orr Lake Acres, Wyevale Graveyard, Midland Foodland, Midland Rona, Beacon Bay Marina,
Perkinsfield Park, The Library Restaurant, Midland Fire Department, Mink Insurance, Ferguson Barristers LLP, and Lot 102.
Check Point Signs: Midland Toyota, Shopper’s Drug Mart Penetanguishene, and Royal Canadian Legion Branch 68 in
Penetanguishene.
Car Signs: Asselin Insurance, Innovative Automation, Dr. John Augimeri Family Dentistry, Hindson Marine Inc,
NorSim Equipment Ltd., GRM Communications, Tom Smith Chevrolet, Brabant & Kretzschmann Accountants,
Fresh Flowers by Leanne, Barber & Haskill, Cashmere Blue, Dentistry by the Bay, Midland Home Building Centre,
Ferguson Barristers LLP, Advanced Foot & Orthotic, Midas Auto Service, Bank of Montreal, Marc’s Auto Repair,
Royal Canadian Legion Branch 80 in Midland, Comfort Inn, Global Pet Foods, and Henry’s South Fish Restaurant.
Prize Donors: Midland Honda, Bonaire Golf Club, Captain Ken’s Diner, Doral Marine Resort, First For Safety, Hair Metrix
Design Team, Georgian Bay Windsurfing Shop, Graffiti Art Inc., For Me Fitness, Cedar Point Soaps, Bestway Rent-All,
Bryant’s Jewellers, Creative Cut, Giant Tiger, Brooklea Golf & Country Club, Horseshoe Adventure Park, John Sharp Images,
Kim’s Bright Ideas & Boutique, Pan Mai Restaurant, Midland Optical, Georgian Bay Cruises, Super 8 Midland Hotel,
Tripp’s Paint, Penetang Home Hardware, Huronia Historical Parks, Beacon Bay Marina, Don Wright Motors, Wal-Mart,
Ciboulette et Cie, Curves, Global Pet Foods, Penetang Dental, Vincent Salon & Spa, and Weed Man Midland.
Last but not least, thank you to all of our participants and everyone who pledged them. Without you, the rally would not be
possible. We hope you enjoyed your day, and please come back next year for more fun and excitement!
(Above) Congratulations to Amanda and Randy from Team
Speed who came in first place in The 4th Annual Amazing
Rally on Sunday May 27th.
Winning teams are based on a combination of time and points.
(Above) Brett & Brandi
from Team Stratton won a
prize for creating the Best
Rap at Beacon Bay
5 Marina’s check point.
Presented by Board
Member, and check point
Volunteer, Susan Inrig.
(Above) The Water Store Filters
team won a prize for being the
only team to get all of the answers
correct at the Wyevale Graveyard
check point. Presented by
Fundraising Committee Member
Andre St. Amour.
BE A BINGO VOLUNTEER!
Help support Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Simcoe by becoming a bingo volunteer today!
It’s a great way to network with other people and make new friends in your community and within our organization.
By volunteering a few hours of your time, you will be helping to support our child mentoring programs.
You must be 18 years of age, or older. Please call our office at 705-526-5051 for more information, or to sign up!
We cover the cost for cab fares to and from the Bingo Hall, if needed, and we also buy lunch for all volunteers.
Bingo takes place at the Angel Gate Bingo Hall in Penetanguishene
Come & play Bingo to support over 50 charities in our community!
Our Matinee Bingos are from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
July - Friday July 06 and Friday July 13
We would like to extend our gratitude to those who
have volunteered for Bingo so far this year.
August - Friday August 03 and Friday August 10
We greatly appreciate your time, dedication, hard
work, and support. You are making a BIG difference!
September - Friday Sept. 07 and Friday Sept. 14
Thank you to: Michelle L, Lianne W, Nancy P, Ron L,
Michelle P, Joe L, Angela M, Kim C, and Marie R.
Thank you to Kim Coffin and the 15th
Annual Tom Coffin Memorial Golf
Tournament for giving a monetary donation
of $1,000.00!
Thank you to ADM Milling Co. in Midland
for giving an ADM Cares Grant of $4,687.40
in support of our In-School Mentoring Program!
Thank you to the Huronia Community
Foundation for contributing $1,000.00
to our new Teen Mentoring Program
launching this September!
Thank you to all of
the friends, family,
businesses, and
community members
who donated to Big
Brothers Big Sisters
of North Simcoe in
Memory of Bryson
McQuirter.
Thank you to SportChek in Midland for
contributing $5,000.00 to our Core Mentoring
Programs!
6 Tiger for hosting
Thank you to Giant
a BBQ and fundraiser raising a total
of $384.00!
A total of $2,185 was donated in
Bryson’s memory. Thank you for
your kindness and generosity.