This past November my wife and I began volunteering for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region. The way the program works is each volunteer is matched with a local child in need of a mentor who is able to help the child grow and develop essential life skills. My Little (volunteers are referred to as Bigs and the children are referred to as littles) and I have a weekly phone call every Wednesday evening and we also spend time together on biweekly outings. We’ve played basketball and baseball together, toured the Nanoscience and Albany campuses, and have gone to a trampoline park to name a few. My little had never worn a baseball glove before. I'll never forget the smile on his face when he caught his first ball. I feel so honored to share this moment with him. Although the objective is to help the Littles grow and prosper in ways they may not be able to through their home environment, I have found the experience to be more beneficial to my personal development than I ever thought possible.

I’m participating in this fundraising event for 2 reasons. One is because my wife bet doing dishes for a week that she can raise more than I can! The second is because there are more littles on our waiting list to join the program than number of volunteers we are currently able to support. The money will help fund on-boarding and support of much needed volunteers willing to help these children in need!

Please feel free to share this campaign with friends and family, on your social media pages, and with whomever else may be willing to help out our local youths. And of course, don't forget to donate! :) 

Thank you!!

Mike