Fundraising has been a big part of how Bob Langdon rolls for a long time — all for the 39th Annual Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bartholomew County Bowl for Kids Sake event Saturday and Sunday.
At the moment, he is leading all projected participants and has generated more than $3,000 in pledges and donations for the nonprofit’s 40-team fundraiser that supports matches between adult mentors and area youngsters benefiting from local role models.
And it’s hardly the first time the former Big Brother of the Year has cracked the $3,000 mark. Plus, he hit close enough at $2,835 in 2012. The following year, he topped everyone with $3,322 in support.
The action will be at Columbus Bowling Center, 3010 State St., with an overall event goal of $100,000, according to Karina Willats, chief development officer for the umbrella agency of Foundation For Youth.
She mentioned that last-minute giving will be particularly important this year because the number of teams is down from the usual figure for the event. Plus, last year’s bowling event was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic and replaced with a murder mystery dinner that raised $53,000 — far short of the funding that Big Brothers Big Sisters has been accustomed to for its work.
The easiest way for people to donate is to go the website foundationforyouth.com and click on the Bowl for Kids Sake section on the home page. From there, people can even designate their donation for an individual bowler.
Each mentor-child match that the organization does costs more than $1,000 in administrative cost and background safety check, according to organizers. Currently, there are 79 active matches and 35 youngsters awaiting a match, according to Willats.
National studies have shown that youngsters in mentoring relationships with adults do better in school and are less likely to experiment with drugs and alcohol.
