 Gulf Coast Shout Out!
Last summer, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Pinellas County had the opportunity to partner with Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services to ensure that mentoring matches wouldn't have to close as a result of decreased funding. BBBS had approximately 30 intact matches transferred over. This means that 30 children were able to continue to experience a professionally supported, one-on-one relationship with a special adult.
The Gulf Coast matches have now all been active with Big Brothers Big Sisters for the past six months and many have been paired together for several years now. We would like to take this opportunity to say THANK YOU to all of our Gulf Coast Bigs who have continued their commitment to the children in our community and for allowing Big Brothers Big Sisters to be a part of these special relationships. We hope that we will see these matches reach many more milestones over the years!
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| Agency Information & Events |
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Friday, April 27th at the Mahaffey Theater
Thank you to everyone who attended the Big Celebration and helped us celebrate our 45th anniversary! Nearly 700 Bigs, Littles and agency supporters took part in this memorable evening!
We would like to take this opportunity to thank the companies and individuals who so graciously donated their product, funds, time and talents to make this year's event so successful:
- Funding provided by Progress Energy and the Gagnon Foundation
- Dinner and ice cream bar by Outback Steakhouse
- Soft drinks by Pepsi
- Graphic Design by Tom Cawthon, Bryan Schrag and the creative team at Valpak
- Lifetime Achievement Award video by Tom Cawthon
 - Caricature artists who donated their time: Rich Brown, Angel Morales, Dan Smith, AJ Miller and Brenda Lamb
- Volunteers for the event: Regina Bennett, John Skiratko, Michael Lundberg, Danielle Mathena, Donna Lancaster, Jane Makhlouf, Rosa Deharo, Ann Zavaglia, Bob Chiavacci, Debby Battista, Mike Battista, Kimberly Connor, Leah Collins, Channing Finlayson, Mark Talley, Pilar Montague, Lucky Patel
Colleen Parisi, Pha Leven, Stephanie Bay, Jessica Carson, Chris Seney
To view our online photo album, click here.
To view the fantastic photos from the photo booth and/or re-order prints:
- Go to: www.GetThePictureFL.com
- Click the "Sign In" button on the left
- Enter your Username and Password:
- Username: bigcelebration
- Password: 04272012
- Click on the "Submit" button
Thank you again to all who helped sponsor this event and all who celebrated with us!
   
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Thank You for Participating in our Research Study with the University of Tampa Students!
Big Brothers Big Sisters serving Pinellas, Hernando and Citrus Counties recently partnered with a team of graduate MBA students from the University of Tampa to continue our pursuit of enhancing your volunteer experience. First, 25 of our Bigs participated in focus groups and in-depth interviews to help develop a survey for all of our Bigs. We are very excited to report that 408 Bigs responded to the email survey! Stay tuned for more to come on the results of this project.
Thank you so much for your participation! If you are one of the three lucky gift card winners, you will be notified by next week.
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Save the Date! 
Companies for Kids Golf Invitational
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Registration Starts-11:00am; Shotgun Start-1:00PM
Innisbrook Golf & Country Club
Copperhead & Island Courses
36750 US Highway 19 N Join Big Brothers Big Sisters on October 2, 2012 for the inaugural Companies for Kids Invitational Golf Classic! Please come out and support the mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters, encouraging children's potential through one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever. The vision of the Companies for Kids Invitational event is to form corporate alliances with Big Brothers Big Sisters and the local business community. Together, we host an elite corporate event focused on raising significant funds for children facing adversity in our community. This will be our agencies only major golf tournament for this year, so don't miss out!Please click here for the sponsor sheet. Registration will be online soon! For more information on how you can participate as a sponsor or player, please contact Stephanie Sleight at 727-518-8860 ext. 261 or StephanieS@bbbspc.org
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Children Hoping for a Community Based Big Brother or Big Sister
The following list shows the number of children who are hoping to be matched in the Pinellas Community Based program. There are currently 75 girls and 161 boys, for a total of 236 children!
Clearwater: 36
Dunedin: 12
Largo: 41
Oldsmar: 4
Palm Harbor: 3
Pinellas Park: 10
Seminole: 12
St. Pete: 114
Tarpon Springs: 4
The Community Based program is ideal for someone who has more free time during weekends and evenings and prefers a flexible schedule. Volunteers take the child on 2 outings per month for 2-4 hours, at times that are convenient for both the Big and the Little.
Children Hoping for a School Based Big Brother or Big Sister
The list below reflects the number of children who were not able to be matched this school year. We currently have a 53 total of children hoping for a School Based Big.
Belleair Elementary School - Clearwater: 7
Campbell Park Elementary School - St. Pete: 15
High Point Elementary School - Clearwater: 15
John Hopkins Middle School - St. Pete: 3
Lakewood Elementary School - St. Pete: 3
Ozona YMCA - Palm Harbor: 1
Sandy Lane Elementary School - Clearwater: 2
Sunset Hills Elementary School - Tarpon Springs: 1
Sunset Hills YMCA - Tarpon Springs: 5
Thurgood Marshall Fundamental - St. Petersburg: 1
The School Based program is ideal for someone who needs a consistent schedule to meet with their Little Brother/Sister and has time during the day. Volunteers meet with a child at their elementary or middle school for one hour per week. Some of our School Based Bigs choose this program because they want to invest their lunch break one day a week, or they have kids at home but they still want to get involved.
Do you have friends or colleagues who are interested in getting involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters? If you would like to host a recruitment drive or lunch and learn at your office, place of worship, networking group or social club, please contact Christa Setzer at ChristaS@bbbspc.org or 727-518-8860 x227. |
| Become a BIG Partner with Big Brothers Big Sisters! |
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Make BBBS Your Charity of Choice!
Are you involved with an organization who is planning an event or fundraiser? Do you have, or know of a business who would like to give back to the community? Big Brothers Big Sisters serving Pinellas, Hernando and Citrus Counties is looking for local organizations to participate in our Charity of Choice program!
A couple of ideas on how to become a Charity of Choice partner would be to have a special day at your place of business where a % of the proceeds benefit our agency, or to hold a special event for a group, where part of the the entry fees or food and beverage sales benefit our local children served by Big Brothers Big Sisters.
To participate, all event planning would be the sole responsibility of the organization that chooses us as their Charity of Choice. Due to a very limited staff, our agency cannot participate in actual event planning, but could potentially send a representative on the day of the event. To help promote the event, our agency would be happy to communicate details of your event to our constituents through email newsletters and social media, as appropriate.
Big Perks
Thanks to our supportive community partners, we are able to offer our Bigs and Littles great discounts for local businesses and activities. This is a great way for our Littles to experience activities that they would normally not be able to do. We need your help to expand our offerings!
To view a complete list of our Big Perks, visit: www.bbbspc.org/bigperks
If you have a Charity of Choice idea or suggestion or would like to offer our matches a Big Perk, please contact Christine Battista, Marketing & Communications Coordinator: 727-518-8860 ext 231, or ChristineB@bbbspc.org
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| BIG Opportunities for Littles |
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Lifestyle Family Fitness Summer Teen Program
The Summer Teen Program will be held this year from May 15 to August 15. Teens, ages 12-17, can enroll at any Lifestyle Family Fitness Club (must bring a parent/guardian on first visit) to receive a free 2-month membership. They can also pre-register at www.lff.com/teen.
Restrictions: Workout before 4:00 pm on weekdays and anytime on weekends (out of respect to paying members). Only teens who have never been a paying member are eligible.
Note: The 2-month membership starts from the day they sign up, if someone signs up August 13 - they will have a membership until Oct. 13.
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| Frequently Asked Questions |
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Is it okay to have a beer or glass of wine while I'm with my Little?
No, it is never okay to consume any alcohol while you're with your Little. It is BBBS policy that "the consumption of alcohol, the usage of tobacco, or the usage of any illegal drugs is strictly prohibited during program participation." Although there may be individuals around you and your Little while you're at a party, sporting event and/or out to dinner who may be having a glass of wine or beer; we ask that our Bigs never do so while you are with your Little.
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| BBBS Match Events (Events listed are coordinated by Big Brothers Big Sisters - staff will be present) |
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Keller Williams Red Day at Largo Central Park 
Thursday, May 10
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Largo Central Park
101 Central Park Dr.
Largo, FL 33771
Please join us for this annual match event hosted by Keller Williams! Dinner, arts & crafts projects, and bouncy houses will be provided. There will also be clowns doing face paintings, balloon animals, and a magic show for everyone!
Keller Williams Red Day (Renew, Energize and Donate) is an initiative dedicated to celebrating Keller Williams Realty's year-round commitment to improving our local communities. It has been dedicated as a continuing tribute to our Vice Chairman of the Board, Mo Anderson, because of her total commitment to the culture of our company. The vision is to have all Keller Williams associates actively engage in a coordinated effort to improve our local community.
To register for this match event, please click here. All RSVP's must be submitted before Tuesday, May 8th at 5pm.
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| Tickets Available for Matches |
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All tickets are given on a first come, first serve basis. All requests for tickets must be placed through the online RSVP link provided in this email. Please confirm your Little's eligibility before requesting tickets online. Tickets provided through BBBS are for Bigs and Littles only, unless otherwise noted. Out of courtesy to other matches, please only reserve tickets to one event where we have a very limited quantity of tickets available.
**Important! You must enter your Little's name and other Big's name if part of a Big Couple when reserving tickets (click blue "ADD" button below your info). If you do not enter each person's name, you will only be reserving one ticket.**
All tickets must be picked up at one of the following locations, unless otherwise noted: - Big Brothers Big Sisters: 918 West Bay Dr., Largo FL 33770 (Mon.-Thurs. 9am - 6pm, Fri. 9am - 4pm)
- Gold's Gym: 203 38th Ave. N, St. Pete (Open 24hrs from 5am Mon - 9pm Fri, Sat 8am - 7pm, Sun 8am- 5pm)
*Please allow 1 full business day to process ticket requests (Monday-Thursday). If you select to pick up tickets at Gold's Gym, please note that we need 1 full business day (excluding weekends) from the time your tickets are processed to transport them from our office to Gold's. Please wait for email confirmation that your tickets are ready to be picked up. |
Tampa Bay Rays
Tropicana Field
1 Tropicana Drive
St. Petersburg, FL 33705
Thanks to a generous donation from the Tampa Bay Rays, we have 50 tickets for our matches to enjoy the following games:
Tuesday, May 29th: vs. Chicago White Sox at 7:10pmTo reserve tickets, please click on the date above.
Thanks to a generous donation from our supporters, we have 2 tickets for one of our matches to enjoy the following game:
To reserve tickets, please click on the date above.
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Tampa Bay Storm
Tampa Bay Times Forum 401 Channelside Drive Tampa, FL 33602
Thanks to a generous donation from the Tampa Bay Storm, we have 18 tickets in the Storm Suite for our matches to enjoy the following game:
To reserve tickets, please click on the date above. |
 Tampa Bay Rowdies
Al Lang Field, Progress Energy Park
230 First Street South
St. Petersburg, FL 33701 Thanks to a generous donation from the Tampa Bay Rowdies, we have 12 tickets for our matches to enjoy the following game:
The actual game starts at 7:30pm, but if you arrive between 6:45-7:00pm, your Little can participate in the Rally Tunnel down on the field prior to the game. They will get to give the players high fives as they come onto the field and also receive a free t-shirt!
To reserve tickets, please click on the date above. |
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Disney on Ice presents Ice Dare to Dream
Sunday, May 20
5:00 pm
Tampa Bay Times Forum
401 Channelside Drive
Tampa, FL 33602
Due to a generous donation from one of our supporters, we have 16 tickets for our matches to experience the beauty, sparkle, and spirit of Disney on Ice Dare to Dream! This hilarious hair-raising escapade Tangled; as Rapunzel her unlikely companion Flynn, and Maximus, embark on an uproarious journey that takes adventure to new lengths! Boogie to the beat of the bayou with Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen from The Princess and the Frog, in a magical journey that all begins with a fateful kiss. And fanciful dreams become reality as Cinderella meets her Prince Charming, with a glass slipper fit for an unforgettable fantasy come true. All your favorite princesses take to the ice in a spectacular finale at the ultimate Disney Princess event of a life time!
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| Activities in Our Community
The following activites are not hosted by BBBS - staff may not be present.
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Be sure to visit the "Bigs Only" section of our website to view recurring community events that you and your Little can take part in. Please click on the links below to view the information most helpful to your match:
Match Activity Ideas - organized by age group
Big Perks - coupons and deals for local activities
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Each Saturday
Sunset Cinema at Pier 60
All Movies Start at Approx. 6:00 p.m.
Pier 60
10 Pier 60 Drive
Clearwater Beach, FL 33767
Bring blankets, low lawn chairs or towels to plop on Clearwater Beach and watch free movies. Conceesions for sale. No alcohol. Show starts around dusk. Price: Free. For more information, contact (727) 434-6060 or www.sunsetsatpier60.com.
May 5 - PG rated film Jaws
May 12 - PG rated film Must Love Dogs
May 19 - PG-13 rated film ABDUCTION
May 26 - PG-13 rated film Joyful Noise
Saturday, May 5 Cinco de Mayo at the Library 2:00 pm Clearwater East Library 2251 Drew St. Clearwater, FL 33765 In commemoration of the Battle of Puebla in Mexico on May 5, 1862, when Mexicans were unexpectedly victorious over invading French forces, the library is throwing a party with traditional Hispanic games, family-friendly music and crafts. Price: Free. For more information, contact (727) 562-4970. Safety Harbor Comic Con 2:00 pm Safety Harbor Library 101 Second St. N Safety Harbor, FL 34695 Three days of comic book fun with contests, drawing and graphic novel classes taught by Mike Lyman of Magnum Arts, a Superhero Film Festival and an Artist's Alley Art Reception. Saturday's schedule includes a "Dress As Your Favorite Comic Character Costume Contest" and a "Superhero Film Festival" presentation of Captain America. Price: Free. For more information, contact (727) 724-1525. Sunday, May 6 Jack and the Beanstalk 2:00 pm Carrollwood Cultural Center 4537 Lowell Road
Tampa, FL 33625 The Play'n Around Traveling Children's Theatre put their own spin on the ageless music comedy in which a boy named Jack trades his cow Betsy for magic beans. The show is designed to entertain and educate on morals and the values of friendship and respect. Price: $7, $6 Center members. For more information, contact (813) 269-1310 or visit www.carrollwoodcenter.org. Village Garden Initiative 9:30 am Boyd Hill Nature Preserve 1101 Country Club Way S. St. Petersburg, FL 33705 Weekly garden club brings fun and experiences to gardeners of all ages. Price: Free. For more information, contact (727) 893-7326. Saturday, May 12 National Train Day 10:00 am Union Station 601 N Nebraska Ave.
Tampa, FL 33602 Train lovers from all around gather to celebrate National Train Day at the historic station, which is also celebrating its centennial. The dual celebration includes live music, tours of Amtrak equipment, model railroad displays and exhibits, telegraph demonstrations, food trucks and a history program. Price: Free. For more information, contact (727) 515-3822 or visit www.nationaltrainday.com. Hot Peas' N Butter 11:00 am Capitol Theatre 405 Cleveland St. Clearwater, FL 33755 This musical group stages an interactive show with multicultural sounds and sizzling rhythms that kids will enjoy as they learn. Price: $8. For more information, contact (727) 791-7400. Sunday, May 13 Alligator Walk 11:30 am Boyd Hill Nature Preserve 1101 Country Club Way S
St. Petersburg, FL 33705 Learn about the habitat, eating habits and other mysteries of the American Alligator on this hike through the preserve's wetlands. Price: $3, $1.50 children. For more information, contact (727) 893-7326. John Levique Pirate Days10:00 am
150 John's Pass Boardwalk
Madeira Beach, FL 33708 What's a pirate's favorite day? Any day with "rrrrrr" in it. But that won't stop the pirates at John Levique Pirate Days from having fun on Sunday as well. This three-day festival celebrates the discovery of John's Pass with a variety of events including a Pirate's Ball, sea battle and boat parade, a family treasure hunt, adult and children's costume contests, various themed merchandise, a pub crawl, artisans and craftsmen, food and beverage vendors and an abundance of pirate performers. Price: Free (donations appreciated). For more information,
contact (727) 322-5217 or visit www.JohnLeviquePirateDays.com.
Saturday, May 19
Bay City Flyers May Fun-Fly
9:00 am
22500 SR 52
Land O'Lakes, FL 34637
This demonstration of model aircraft acrobatic flying includes limbo flying, bomb dropping, take off and landing in 60 seconds, and flying a figure eight around balloons then breaking the last balloon. Price: $3 spectators, $10 pilots. For more information, contact (813) 802-8970.
Model Train Show and Swap Meet10:00 am
14494 Cortez Blvd.
Brooksville, FL 34613 Vendors showing, selling and trading trains, tracks and accessories in various scales with a model train layout for children of all ages to enjoy. Price: $4 for adults, children 12 and under free. For more information, contact (727) 244-1341 www.regalrailways.com.
Sunday, May 20Splash and Dash
9:00 amSt. Pete Beach Community Center and Horan Park
7701 Boca Ciega Drive
St. Pete Beach, FL 33706
A biathlon for kids ages 5 to 12 includes a pool swim and a fun run through the park. Stick around for the post-race Splash Bash with music, games, water slides, contests and prizes. Price: $5. For more information, contact (727) 363-9245 or visit www.spbrec.com.
Lowry Park Zoo
1101 W Sligh Ave.
Tampa, FL 33604
Load all the kids into the car and get ready to visit all your favorite animals. Everyone gets into the zoo for $5 today. But get there early because it gets crowded for this deal. Price: $5. For more information, contact (813) 935-8552.
Saturday, May 26
Summer Safari Night at the Zoo
5:00 pm
Lowry Park Zoo
1101 W Sligh Ave.
Tampa, FL 33604
Lowry Park Zoo's summer series features free rides after 5 p.m. and special animal encounters. For more information, contact (813) 935-8552.
Sunday, May 27
Glazer Children's Museum
110 W Gasparilla Plaza
Tampa, FL 33602
The Museum is opening its doors early for families with newborn children to age 12 with special needs. Price: $5, members free.
For more information, contact (813) 443-3861.
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1 Year
Robert Voorhies & Joshua ● Gregory Curtis & Benecio ● Toreia Morgan & Courtney ● Sarah Doll & Jasmine ● Heather Broadbent & Kirah ● Anne Lucas & Kayla ● Stephanie Krebs & Ashley ● Denton Crokett & Ahmaud ● Susan Thomas & Autumn ● Allison Leslie-Campbell & Angelique ● Paul Bruggemann & Jordan ● Heather Bridge & Tekoa ● Wilmer LaBrant & Anazi ● Tara Pakula & Taylor ● Trevor Miller-Evans & Keion ● Jodi Watkins & Madison ● Daniel Ripley & Spencer
2 Years
Patricia Vandeven & Jaslyne ● Julie Rourke & Briana ● Bryan Nelson & Lamotez ● Kathy Boykin & Kali
3 Years
Ken Young & Joshua ● William Allard & Xavier ● Erik MacPherson & Keibran ● Jeanne Phillips & Arihas ● Lindsay Dill & Riley
4 Years
Buddy Allen & Jacob ● Mitchell Shenkman & Cody ● Richard Danaie & Dontavis ● Tanoi Daniels & Amanda ● Joey Carrasco & Darrius ● Francine McKinnon & Jahdai ● Robert Van Tassel & Seth
5 Years
Roger Covey & Shaquille ● Cathleen Schneider & Kimyada
7 Years
Gina Folk & Janiah ● Troy Taylor & Devin
8 Years
Kathleen Roache & Shaina
10 Years
Nick Fritsch & Cody
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Office Volunteers
Our agency is in need of several office volunteers, which include the following:
- Statistician Volunteer
- Information Technology Volunteer
- Volunteer Clerical Assistant
Please click here to visit our website and view descriptions for each position.
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