Inaugural Project Mentor Graduating Class

Wow! More than 700 people attended the 2012 Project Mentor Volunteer Luncheon on May 22, and they helped us honor our inaugural Project Mentor graduating class--over 200 Columbus City Schools Project Mentor Seniors! These students were matched with mentors as eighth graders in 2007, which is the year Project Mentor was launched as a collaboration between Columbus City Schools and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio. 

At the luncheon, student speaker Charvez said he joined Project Mentor thinking, "It would be great to have somebody to keep me on track because it's easy for students to drift away these days." Charvez stayed on track...he is planning to study at Columbus State, then transfer to a four-year college with the goal of following his mentor, Ben Greene from American Electric Power, into the field of engineering!

Student speaker Carlos agreed that Project Mentor had a positive impact on his life, saying, "I joined Project Mentor because I needed guidance to get me where I am today." And where is Carlos? He is planning to attend Akron University and believes that would not have been possible if it weren't for his mentor Don Fields.

Now is the time to volunteer to mentor a student for the 2012-2013 school year! If you are a Project Mentor volunteer, please spread the word and refer your friends and co-workers! If you or your business or organization is interested in joining Project Mentor, please contact us! For more information or to volunteer, please visit www.ProjectMentorColumbus.org or call us at 614-839-KIDS (5437). 

Three talented kids entertained the audience in the first ever "Our Littles Got Big Talent" contest at the 2012 A Taste of Class for Kids event. Malik, our mime dancer; Kevin, our singer; and Maggie, our pianist, all wowed contest judges George S. Barrett, chairman and chief executive officer of Cardinal Health; Gene T. Harris, Ph.D., Superintendent/CEO of Columbus City Schools; and Broadway star Kevin McGuire.  

This year's committee planned the unique program and a delicious dinner at beautiful Winding Hollow Golf Club in New Albany. The event was co-sponsored by Ernst and Young and Hamilton Parker Company, and featured Andrea Cambern as emcee and Larry E. Woods as auctioneer.

"Our Littles Got Big Talent" performers with emcee Andrea Cambern

The 2012 event committee included Co-chairs Stephanie and Adam Lewin and Cathy and Craig Marshall, plus April DeVito, Mary Beth and Bill Estwanik, Velda Otey, Marcy and Randy Schoedinger, Amanda and Joe Vandermark and Tara Waldier.

Sponsors included: Abercrombie & Fitch; American Electric Power; Anderson Concrete; Ashland Inc.; Bailey Cavalieri LLC; Battelle; Cardinal Health; Champion Real Estate; Deloitte; Ernst & Young; Expesite; Fifth Third; GBQ Partners; G & J Pepsi Cola Bottlers; Greif, Inc.; Hamilton Parker/The Lewin Family; Huntington; Kimball Midwest; KPMG; Nationwide; Ohio Indemnity Company; OhioHealth; Porter Wright; RockBridge; Romanoff Group; Smoot Construction; The Spielman Family Foundation; State Auto; Thompson Hine; UnitedHealthcare; Vorys, Sater, Seymour & Pease LLP; WBNS-10TV & The Columbus Dispatch; and White Castle.

Thanks to all for a very successful evening that raised important funds to support the Big Brothers Big Sisters mission!

The Columbus Automobile Dealers Association selected Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio as a beneficiary of the 2012 Columbus International Auto Show Charity Gala called "Cars are the Stars", and the kids of central Ohio are the winners. The donation provides important operating revenue to the agency. When he accepted the check, agency President and CEO Ed Cohn commented that owning a car is a very real goal for youth in the agency's programs! Mentors, he pointed out, help youth stay focused on goals like owning a dream car, and help them understand what it will take to achieve success in life. Thanks go out to the Columbus Automobile Dealers Association, and the "Cars are the Stars" Committee: Chairman Rhett Ricart of Ricart Automotive Group, Jeff Brindley of Roush Honda, Bruce Daniels of Honda Marysville, Bobby Dawes of Bob-Boyd Auto Family, Rick Germain of Germain Lexus,  Jim Gill of Chesrown Chevrolet Buick GMC, Jim Keim of Jim Keim Ford, and Scott Thomas of Buckeye Honda.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio, a United Way member agency, has been matching children with mentors since 1933. The third largest Big Brothers Big Sisters agency in the country, we serve thousands of children each year through our community-based mentoring program, school-based mentoring program (including Project Mentor) and mentoring programs at Camp Oty'Okwa in the Hocking Hills. We serve children in Franklin, Delaware, Union, Clark, Madison and Champaign Counties through our offices in Columbus, Delaware, Marysville and Springfield plus Camp Oty'Okwa in the Hocking Hills. Big Brothers Big Sisters makes meaningful, monitored matches between volunteers and children. We provide a system of ongoing evaluation and support which is proven by independent studies to improve the odds that children will perform better in school, avoid violence and illegal activities, and have stronger relationships with their parents and others. Learn more at bbbscentralohio.org, projectmentorcolumbus.org, campotyokwa.org and mentoringcenterco.org.