Almost 200 guests including Bigs & Littles, board members, friends of the program and BBBS staff attended our annual Welcome Summer Picnic. Guests enjoyed carnival games, tug of war, summer activities and a delicious barbecue dinner from Mr. G's Catering. It was a great evening to create many special childhood memories! Thank you to the Amherst Youth Board for use of the Harlem Road Community Center and to our Corporate Sponsor Bank of America. Lastly, a BIG thanks to the volunteers from Alpha Phi Alpha for staffing the carnival games and helping out wherever they were needed!

A group of Little Brothers and Littles Sisters received new bikes and $25.00 gift cards to purchase bike helmets from Invitrogen Life Technologies located on Grand Island. The donation was part of Global Volunteer Week. During this week, Life Technologies companies in all regions select projects in an effort to impact the community.

We were delighted to be one of the many projects completed during the week by local Life Technologies employees. In advance, the height of each child was sent to the company so they could purchase bike-building kits. That's right…local employee teams of volunteers assembled each bike! At the end of the day our Littles, along with their Bigs, visited Life Technologies to receive their new set of wheels. The smiles on each child's face as he or she received their bike were certainly memorable. Following the bike presentation, the group received a behind the scenes tour of Life Technologies. Our sincere thanks to Life Technologies and their employee volunteers for the generous donation and for making the day so special for our kids!

The Tim Horton Children’s Foundation hosted thirty-five of our Little Brothers and Little Sisters for a “Tech Free” camp weekend at Onondaga Farms. Located in St. George, Ontario the camp features environmental, creative arts, agricultural, adventure & recreational activities.

Our group arrived Friday evening aboard a Tim Horton’s Camp bus and were excited to meet the Tim Horton’s Camp Counselors. After playing a few games to introduce everyone, it was off to the bunkhouse so the group would be ready for a busy next few days! During the weekend, our kids enjoyed visits to the barn to learn about the animals on the farm, including a few cute and cuddly newborn bunnies. The group also enjoyed kick sledding and broomball. In the evening the camp counselors led the group on a night hike and organized plenty of fun games. The kids also enjoyed making crafts including paper mache masks.

According to the BBBS staff that attended, the kids were so busy enjoying the beautiful grounds and numerous activities that going “tech free” was not an issue. However, sleepy Little Sister Sienna exclaimed on Saturday night, “I don’t miss my TV but when are we going to the bunk house to sleep? All this fun is tiring me out!”

A special thank you to the Tim Horton Children’s Foundation, as well as the staff and counselors at Onondaga Farms for making this a memorable weekend for all of the kids involved!

In celebration of Martin Luther King Day, Chris Draft of the Buffalo Bills and the Chris Draft Family Foundation provided “A Day at the Barbershop and Beauty Salon” for our Littles. Getting a fresh style was not the only purpose of this special day. The Chris Draft Family Foundation strives to teach youth about respecting themselves by focusing on health and wellness. These principals were a key part of the day.

Our Big Brothers and Sisters accompanied their Littles to The House of Masters Barbershop owned by Sean Thompson and The Hair Firm Beauty Salon owned by Leah Mills. Greeted by the staff of each business and the volunteers from the Chris Draft foundation, our Littles received their fresh new looks while chatting. Following their cuts, Chris Draft and members of the foundation spent time talking with the Littles about key principals to being successful including self-confidence, good decision-making, health and wellness. The youth were also encouraged to continue to talk with their Big Brothers and Big Sisters about these important subjects. Each Little received a different t-shirt with a word that represents the key principals promoted by the Chris Draft Family Foundation. In a thank you note, Little Sister Amelia wrote, “I really love my hair. Thank you for the advice about self-esteem and about confidence. It means so much to me talking about that subject.”

Our sincerest appreciation to The House of Masters, Hair Firm, their owners and staff for donating their time and talent. A BIG thank you to Chris Draft and the volunteers from the Chris Draft Family Foundation for making this wonderful event possible. To learn more about the Chris Draft Family Foundation visit: www.chrisdraftfamilyfoundation.org

First Niagara recently awarded $12,500.00 to Big Brothers Big Sisters to expand our Site-Based Mentoring Program at Enterprise Charter School. The donation was made as part of First Niagara’s Mentoring Matters initiative. Through this initiative, First Niagara has made a financial commitment to organizations that offer guidance to children in helping them reach their full potential, as well as, encouraging First Niagara employees to donate their time and talent to these organizations.

The funds donated by First Niagara will help to support the wonderful mentoring relationships that are being developed, like the one between Big Sister Natasha and Little Sister Sharde. The two were matched together this fall and have quickly formed a friendship. Recently, during a site activity they learned how to make homemade ice cream using plastic bags, sugar, salt, vanilla, ice, and milk.  After reading the directions to discover the chemistry of how this recipe works, with her Big Sisters help Little Sister Sharde measured out their ingredients and began mixing. There was a lot of laughing and talking while this Big & Little put together their ingredients. The pair had their doubts their creation would work. However, they were in awe and proud once they tasted their homemade vanilla ice cream that very same day!

A special thank you to First Niagara’s Mentoring Matters initiative for making this mentoring relationship and so many others at Enterprise Charter school possible through their generous support. To learn more about First Niagara’s Mentoring Matters initiative visit:




www.fnfg.com

As part of January’s National Mentoring Month activities, eight Big & Little matches were chosen through an agency drawing for a special “Thank Your Mentor Day” mini-cooking experience activity with Patti Green, owner of Ginger Kids. Ginger Kids provides fun and engaging products for children, cooking programs, cookbooks and décor to encourage adults and children to spend quality time cooking and eating together!

The Littles, with their Bigs looking on, made delicious chocolate dipped treats including strawberries, bananas and pretzels in the kitchen at DK Benson Interiors in the Village of Williamsville. Patti of Ginger Kids encouraged the matches to try this particular activity on their own, along with finding other terrific ways to make simple, fun and delicious treats in the kitchen. After the treats were wrapped as gifts for the Bigs and the kitchen was cleaned up, our matches sat for a special part of the evening. Each of the Littles presented their Big with a gift and shared a special note in front of the group about why they are so thankful for their Big Brother or Big Sister mentor.

A special thanks to Patti Green of Ginger Kids for offering this special activity. You can visit www.gingerkidsfun.com to learn more about this unique company. Additionally, thank you to DKBenson Interiors for the use of their beautiful showroom kitchen.

In January, three Little Brothers joined Buffalo Sabres Captain Craig Rivet to create a 30 second Public Service Announcement targeted at recruiting more Big Brothers. The day started at HSBC arena with the boys on the production set practicing their lines. Our Littles were excited to get started but a bit nervous upon first seeing all the lights and cameras. However, after a few practice runs with the director, when the camera started rolling our Little Brothers were pros! It only took each a few takes to get the perfect shot! When Craig Rivet arrived, the boys were delighted to meet the hockey star. Craig teased the boys that he was nervous about doing as well as they did with their lines. After a few takes and lots of laughs, the commercial was finished. However, our stars were not done yet. The Little Brothers and Craig posed for several photos to be used in a billboard that will compliment the TV commercial. Following autographs and time talking with Craig, the day was a wrap! Our staff and Little stars headed off to lunch to talk about the day and how much fun was had. All the boys agreed it was a day they will never forget!

A special thanks to Buffalo Advertising for donating the time and talent to write, direct and edit our spot and to Erica Eichelkraut Photography for capturing the memories and photos for our billboard. Lastly, a BIG thank you to the Buffalo Sabres Captain Craig Rivet for his continued support of our program and for taking time away from his busy day to make this all possible. Keep your eyes open over the next few weeks for our billboard and to view our commercial on local television stations and at HSBC arena during Buffalo Sabres games!