Big Brothers Big Sisters of Frederick County, MD

The Latest BBBS News . . . April 17, 2008

USA Today Recognizes Big Brothers Big Sisters as
one of the nation's top 25 charity organizations!

Bowl For Kids’ Sake Set for May 3rd and 4th, 2008

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!!!

This year’s Bowl for Kids’ Sake event is really gearing up. The date has been set, the first planning committee meeting has taken place, and mailings have begun.

BBBS agency is recruiting individuals and groups to participate in the Bowl for Kids’ Sake event, May 3 & 4. Bowling is free as long as you have a sponsor sheet with pledges. You may collect all donations by May 30 and return to BBBS office at 2 East Church Street. Any one who collects over $75 will be invited to an award reception in July; T-shirts and other prizes will be given away. Thank you for your support.

As always, we are open to new ideas! Please contact the Big Brothers Big Sisters office at 301-694-9488 with your comments and/or suggestions.

Michael C. Snyder Memorial Scholarship Fund

All current and former Littles or Bigs who are graduating high school seniors are invited to apply for the Michael C. Snyder Memorial Scholarship Fund. Michael Snyder was a Big Brother in Frederick County for several years until his death in 2004. His parents, David and Mary Snyder, have established this scholarship to honor his memory. It is a $500 college scholarship. Applications are available at the Community Foundation's website www.cffredco.org. Applications are due to the Community Foundation no later than March 1, 2008. All questions regarding the scholarship should be directed to the Community Foundation at 301-695-7660.

Annual Celebration of Frederick Youth Dinner A Big Success

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Frederick held their annual Celebration of Frederick Youth dinner on November 12, 2007. Over 300 guests and supporters of the agency were in attendance and enjoyed the dinner provided by Outback Steakhouse.

Artwork by a number of the littles in the program was auctioned off through the annual silent auction. The works went over very well, with one selling for $100.

Jeremy Isreal, a senior at Walkersville High School, was awarded the Masterman Family College Scholarship by Sean Masterman and his wife, Christina Mills Masterman. The Mastermans established the scholarship in 2006 to benefit a high school student enrolled in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Jeremy is an honor roll student who is active in youth programs at his church. He has been involved in a variety of community service projects, including helping families in need and cleaning up neighborhoods. Jeremy is also an athlete at Walkersville High as a member of the track and field and the football teams. At the Dinner, Sean Masterman recognized Jeremy as a young man who is well-rounded and shows much potential. Jeremy lives with his mother, Lissa Hicks, in Walkersville and has been matched with his Big Brother, Jem Nallen, for over one year. Both were in attendance at the dinner.

Mr. and Mrs. Snyder, in memory of their son who was a big brother in the program, annually present a Big Brother and Big Sister of the Year award. This year's recipients were Dave Tross as Big Brother of the Year and Sabrina Marshall as Big Sister of the Year.

BBBS Event Calendar

May 3-4, 2008
Bowl for Kids' Sake Event

NEW
Friday, October 3, 2008
14th Annual Golf Tournament (rain date is October 17). More details will follow soon.

Special Thanks to...

Alice Buchanan and Olivia Pinkney for their exceptional work in the office; Route 40 Holiday Inn for sponsoring BBBS’s Bowl for Kids’ Sake events; Allegra Printing for providing the Bowl For Kids’ Sake brochures, pledge sheets and invitations. We truly appreciate those who contribute to our success.

Look What We've Done in Frederick!

Improved academic and behavioral outcomes for children matched six months or more is measured through written response from children, volunteers, and some parents. A Performance Outcome Evaluation (POE) instrument, already being used by this BBBS agency will be used to measure outcome. The aim is to determine whether a one-to-one mentoring experience made a tangible difference (academic, social, and inter-personal) in the lives of children.

The following 2005 outcome result is based on a small number of data collected from parents, and Big Brothers Big Sisters in response to questionnaires.

»79.49% Have improved self confidence
»79.48% Are able to express feelings better
»74.36% Can make better decisions
»76.93% Have improved hobbies and interests
»51.38% Have better attitude toward school
»68% Have improved academic performance