By Alexandria Leatherberry
The Truth Reporter
On Saturday, April 18, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Ohio hosted a sold-out annual Bowl for Kids’ Sake fundraiser at Miracle Lanes. The event is the organization’s largest peer-to-peer event supporting the youth mentor programs in Lucas and Wood counties.
The event was led by the organization’s CEO, Marvin Whitfield, PhD, who said the initiatives that the fundraiser would be helping to support include Empowering Future Leaders group mentoring program, STEM Club and Youth Ambassador Club. These programs will also benefit from the executive order signed in 2025 for $13.4 million federal welfare funds to support faith-based and community organizations across Ohio.
The executive order allocated Temporary Assistance for Needy Families money for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 through the Governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. The money supports organizations across the state that provide services such as mentorship programs, food assistance, workforce training, housing support and more.
The state funding supports the larger scale mentorship programs while the one-on-one mentoring activities rest solely on the fundraising activities of Big Brothers, Big Sisters.
“Unfortunately there are no state or federal dollars for traditional mentoring,” said Whitfield. “They are investing in workforce development, leadership development and mental health mentorship, so it is our job to invest in our one-on-one mentoring”
Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz followed Whitfield by reminding guests of the historical significance Big Brothers, Big Sisters has in northwest Ohio which has made the bowling fundraiser more ceremonial.
“BBBS was founded in Ohio,” said Kapszukiewicz. “If there’s one thing we like to do in this part of the country it is to bowl,” He shared his recollection of world record-breaking bowling achievements that have happened at Miracle Lanes. The mayor kicked off the ceremony by taking the first bowl down the lanes.
Board members and State Representative Elgin Rogers also shared words of reflection with attendees on the impact that the program has had. This impact has reached students beyond those enrolled in the program through leadership opportunities such as the Youth Ambassadors Club. “I am glad to experience things I might not have gotten comfortable with on my own,” said Youth Ambassador Vice President Madison Guy.
Bowl for Kids’ Sake is an annual event benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Ohio to keep the agency’s programming available for the hundreds of local children who need the help of a mentor relationship. The mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Ohio is to provide one-to-one mentoring relationships between qualified adults and children in order to help children develop into competent, confident and caring individuals.
The agency provides services to more than 1500 children annually in several different mentoring and leadership programs. It is the agency’s vision that every child who needs a mentor gets one. The organization focuses on four youth development areas: Life Skills, Leadership Development, Cultural Competence, and Career Development. For more information, please visit http://www.bbbsnwo.org/.