Bowl for Kids’ Sake and Employee Engagement
Zoom, working remotely, masking and social distancing… It has been a challenging year! Your staff is likely exhausted from navigating the “new normal” and we understand. Our annual Bowl for Kids’ Sake event will also have a new look this year, as a cornhole party in late summer. Big Brothers Big Sisters is making it easy for your organization to stay safe and still join something that’s fun and impactful! So toss us your support by registering for Bowl for Kids’ Sake: Cornhole Edition.
THE MISSION
Teams of 4 will face off on the cornhole pitch, outdoors and socially distant as needed. The sport is changing, but the spirit and mission of the event remains the same: you’ll still have fun celebrating the money you raised to support one-to-one mentoring in Southwest Michigan.
Each team member pledges to raise a minimum of $60 (or $240 per 4-person team) to participate. Afterwards, join us for a 2 hour cornhole party to celebrate your successful fundraising!
KEEP YOUR EMPLOYEES ENGAGED
When your company participates in Bowl for Kids’ Sake: Cornhole Edition, you get a chance to have fun as a team outside of work, and you ignite the potential of youth who participate in our mentoring programs. Bowl for Kids’ Sake: Cornhole Edition is an employee engagement and team building opportunity that showcases your company’s commitment to the community.
Western Diversified Plastics (WDP) staff bowl each year, and even won the coveted 2020 “Travelling Trophy.” Their teams’ coordinator noted the event is a great opportunity to serve the local community. The Travelling Trophy is awarded to the business or organization with the highest fundraising total each year. In 2020, WDP took the trophy home, stopping Amerifirst’s reign (more below). WDP had over 50 bowlers (13 teams!) at last year’s Bowl for Kids’ Sake event.
IMPACT LOCAL YOUTH
Funds raised sustain the work of matching children who we call “Littles” with dedicated, caring mentors we call “Bigs.” The event’s funds also help provide ongoing support to the Little, Big and the Little’s family for the entire time they are paired. Over 500 young people in Kalamazoo, Calhoun, Allegan, and Van Buren counties were matched with a Big in 2020.
TIPS FOR NEW COMPANY TEAMS
“Make it fun!” says the HR department at WDP. WDP gives their employees t-shirts and prizes for the best bowling score. They open it up to families and kids too. And don’t be afraid of a healthy competition: the more people you have, the more it fosters that competitive spirit.
That competitive spirit resonates with Amerifirst Home Mortgage, according to Toni Jones, Director of Community Outreach.
After it was introduced in 2018, Amerifirst held the “Travelling Trophy,” for two years. They’d like to take it back from WDP, winning Cornhole Edition, but welcome competition.
While the competition is exciting, it’s not why Amerifirst has embraced Bowl for Kids’ Sake. Toni explained, “It’s a fun way of living our organization’s core values, and it’s all led by our employees. You can use Bowl for Kids’ Sake to promote a healthy work culture while simultaneously giving back to your community.”
GET YOUR CORNHOLE TEAMS TOGETHER
Shine a spotlight on your company’s culture and your most engaged employees. Discuss Bowl for Kids’ Sake: Cornhole Edition at your next staff meeting and see if there’s any interest. This flyer might help you share. You never know who might have their own Big Brothers Big Sisters story!
Plan now for August-September and make mentoring a part of your company’s summer fun. Bowl for Kids’ Sake is more than a fundraiser, for many, it is a tradition. Most importantly it celebrates the power of mentoring, a cause that will always be worth playing for.
Find event dates, learn more and register your teams for Bowl for Kids’ Sake: Cornhole Edition today.
Questions? Email Sarah Pressley, Bowl for Kids’ Sake Coordinator at Bowl@bbbsmi.org.
