Big Brothers Big Sisters raises more than $22,000 at fundraiser

Superheroes like Catwoman, Captain Planet, Pizza Express Man and Superwoman made appearances Wednesday and Thursday nights at Suburban Lanes for this year's superhero-themed Bowl for Kids' Sake IU Bowl party.\nThe IU Bowl raised $22,000, and more donations are coming in. The organization had hoped to raise $32,000.\nRevenue from the event will go to support about one-third of the organization's operating budget, said Renee Tetrick, an IU student and Big Brothers Big Sisters intern. \n"Everything went really well," Tetrick said. "Tons of people came out."\nParticipants created teams consisting of five or six members and were encouraged to raise $500, but all donations the team raised were accepted. The teams brought the money they raised to the bowling party on the night they registered to attend. \n"Everyone had a really great time," Tetrick said. "It's a huge party with friends and you can support a great cause."\nParticipants also collected awards, such as trophies and gift certificates, for their spirit and involvement. Graduate Women in Accounting, participating in the event for the first time, won the honor of being the top fundraiser for its $2,804 contribution. The Hoosier Court Specials team from the Apparel Merchandising Organization won overall best group costume for dressing as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.\n"We had everything from Captain Underpants to Joker and Batman," Tetrick said.\nTeams were encouraged to create banners incorporating the superhero theme and the Civic Leadership Development team won the best banner award. \nOn Thursday night, Kilroy's Sports Bar held Bowl for Kids' Sake Night and the $2 cover went to support the event. Tetrick said there were more than 900 people at Kilroy's that night.\nIn addition to IU Bowl, Big Brothers Big Sisters is also holding its annual Community Bowl, which works like the IU Bowl except community teams are encouraged to try and raise $625 apiece. The Community Bowl, which is Academy Award-themed, started Saturday and will conclude March 4. \nLast year, the Community Bowl raised $142,000 and this year organizers hope to raise $176,000, said Beth Hannon, Bowl for Kids' Sake coordinator. She said registration for this year's event is the highest in the event's history. \n"It's the biggest party in Bloomington," she said. "Just with a fairly large cover charge."\nBig Brothers Big Sisters is a youth mentoring organization that serves more than 225,000 young people in 5,000 communities through a network of 470 agencies. Volunteers are paired with a child and spend time with them two to four times a month in order to help provide them with skills to manage everyday challenges.\nBig Brothers Big Sisters Director of Operations Andrea Smith said she hopes people realize the organization needs more than monetary contributions. She said she wants people to know that the organization needs volunteers, too. \n"There's a growing gap between the kids that have access to opportunities in our community," Smith said. "A lot of the kids we help have a single parent, a parent that didn't complete high school or are living in poverty."\nFor more information on the Bloomington chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters, visit www.bigsindiana.org.\n"We're not changing the kids," Smith said. "But we're showing them what else is out there"