GREENZONE
BIG BROTHERS/BIG SISTERS
I have recently had the pleasure of being named Honorary Chair for Big Brothers Big Sisters Edmonton. BBBS is an organization that pairs willing adults with children in need of guidance and mentoring. Big Brothers Big Sisters Society of Edmonton& Area is a community-supported, mentor based organization committed to the healthy development of children in need and their families through provision of quality, one-to-one volunteer relationships and related programs.
Mentoring is a concept that I feel strongly about so this was an easy cause for me to take up. With the state of the world being what it is, I think that it’s scary enough just being an adult – let alone a child with few models for how things should be done. As long as BBBS Edmonton is willing to use me, I’ll do everything that I can to help them out.
Some of my 2009 Big Brothers/Big Sisters Commitments:
- Press conference announcing my partnership with BBBS and accepting the role of Honorary Chair. Video
- PSA commercial about the role of mentoring in my development. Commerical Video | Behind the Scenes
- Autograph signing and Nintendo Wii challenge a BBBS Radio Remotes for BBBS Dream Home fundraiser - Fundraising closes April 19th.
- This spring I will be matched with a little brother. I love my 3 sisters but I always wanted a brother!
- This summer I will meet with a group of Big Brothers and Little Brothers to tour the locker room and Commonwealth Stadium.
- This spring I will be attending Henry Burris’ All-Star Weekend in Calgary. Henry occupies a similar position for BBBS Calgary and throws a great event there in its 4th year to fundraise for them.
I’m looking forward to a great relationship with this already wonderful organization, and I’m honored to be affiliated with them. I would encourage those who can, to consider mentoring. This is one of the few cases in life where the juice is worth the squeeze. The feeling that you get form seeing yourself making a positive impact on a young person’s life, will change how you view a lot of things.
Remember…You don’t have to change your life to change theirs.
Gear for Grades 2008
I created this initiative in 2007 to encourage youth exercise, youth leadership, academic excellence and accountability, and the pursuit of collegiate scholarship.
The reasoning behind my wanting to provide this incentive has roots in my own upbringing. I can recall often times in my own youth that the cost of sports equipment caused much strife and tension in my house. While my parents always had the intention of supporting my athletic endeavors, sometimes the cost of the equipment would deter me or prohibit me from pursuing a new sport that I wanted to play. I felt that perhaps the incentive to give away these gloves to kids as an incentive to bring their grades to honor roll levels. I felt like this would be a good way to encourage some kids who may not be playing sports, to give it a shot now that they have the equipment. At the same time this gives the kids who are athletic already, but don't put the same effort into their studies some incentive to be complete student athletes. All the while giving their parents a break on some of the equipment costs!
The process and rules are simple. Each student must maintain all A's and B's at the end of the semester. No C's…No exceptions.
2008 WINNERS - CRESTWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL
Batting Gloves;
- Anna Gravely (8th softball)
- Kelsey Wetherall (7th softball)
- Alex Levine (7th baseball)
- Mitchell Disler (7th baseball)
Football Gloves;
- Trung Pham (8th)
- Kevin Kidwell (8th)
- Jonah Meredith (7th)
- Kenny Hagins (7th)
- Marco Gibson (8th)
- Devar Ferhadi (8th)
- Nick Taylor (7th)
- Will Holtzinger (7th)
- Lucas Salina (8th)
- Ian Tucker (8th)
- A.J. Avellan (7th) Gloves +sleeves
- Cory Connelly (8th) HIGH HONORS – Gloves, chin strap, eye black
- Darnell Henry (8th)
- Cameron Miles Butler (7th)
- Marcus Anderson (7th)
*A thank you goes out to Entrix Sports as well as Dwayne Mandrusiak of the Edmonton Eskimos for helping out with this initiative.*
