Bowl for Kids’ Sake

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Claremore’s annual fundraiser assists children who face adversity.

Would you like to help change the life of a child forever? If so, will you take the challenge to help Big Brothers Big Sisters of Claremore by becoming a ­participant in their annual Bowl for Kids’ Sake? The organization is encouraging mentors and mentees, their friends and ­families, partners, community leaders, and those who feel they don’t have time to mentor to join them for their annual fundraiser set for March 11, 12 and 16 in Owasso.

    “Bowl for Kids’ Sake gives the whole community a way to support positive futures for our kids,” says Jessica Wilbourn, Claremore area director. “No matter how a person is involved – bowler, sponsor, team captain, virtual bowler – he or she can help to start a child on the right path.”

    BBBS invites all people, not just volunteers, to get involved with the local organization by forming a team of five to raise funds and have fun while ­helping children in the process. Each team is challenged to raise $500 or $100 per individual. Each individual who raises the recommended amount will receive a Bowl for Kids’ Sake T-shirt.

    “Each person who raises $125 or more will be entered into a drawing for prizes,” says Wilbourn. “The more money you raise, the more entries you earn. Last year, we gave away a Kindle Fire.”

    “Funds raised from this annual event allow our ­organization to carefully make more mentoring matches and provide ongoing assistance for mentors, mentees and families to help sustain long successful ­relationships unique to our ­program,” she adds.

    Helping vulnerable children beat the odds, BBBS depends on donations to help conduct ­background checks on volunteers to ensure child safety, and ­provide ongoing support for ­children, families and volunteers to build and sustain long-lasting relationships, key to successful mentoring.

    Big Brothers Big Sisters is proven by independent research to improve children’s odds for succeeding in school, behaving nonviolently, avoiding drugs and alcohol, and breaking negative cycles. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma serves more than 2,000 children annually. To learn how you can change how children grow up in Oklahoma go to www.bbbsok.org.   

    Bowl for Kids’ Sake is Big Brothers Big Sisters’ premiere fundraising event, raising more than $20 million nationwide each year. For more than 40 years, Bowl for Kids’ Sake has supported Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies across the ­country. “Our goal for the Claremore area this year is $40,000,” says Wilbourn. “We are also setting a goal of 80 teams this year to participate in the fun and fundraising.”

    Local businesses such as AXH Air-Coolers, BancFirst, Grand Bank, Pelco Structural, RCB Bank, Rogers State University and many civic ­organizations such as Junior Ocieleta, Rotary Clubs, and of course local schools, church groups, friends and families all get together to form the ­fundraising teams.

    Corporate sponsors for this year’s event include Pelco, Kingpin Presenting Sponsor; AXH, Rogers State University, BancFirst, RCB Bank, Pizza Hut, Grand Bank, Dale Marlar, Hillcrest, RCI Insurance, Wal-Mart, and Rib Crib.

    To register your team for the 2013 Bowl for Kids’ Sake, go to their website at ­www.bfksclaremore.org. “You can not only register your team here but use it as a means of communication and fundraising for your team,” says Wilbourn. “We encourage teams to register as soon as possible so they can be guaranteed a reserved lane.”

For more information, contact

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma

400 W. Will Rogers Blvd.

Claremore, OK 74107

(918) 283-1397