Bowl for Kids’ Sake raises more than $70,000

OAKLAND — More than 75 teams came out to Bowl for Kids’ Sake May 9-16 in Hallowell and Skowhegan to support local youth mentoring programs in Kennebec and Somerset counties.
The annual event, sponsored by Hannaford Supermarkets and Camden National Bank, raised more than $70,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Maine. Proceeds from Bowl for Kids’ Sake will directly support the agency’s school, site and community-based, 1-to-1 mentoring programs that serve more than 260 children facing adversity in the Kennebec Valley.

The local bowling fundraiser is among four regional Bowl for Kids’ Sake. Others are in the Midcoast, Androscoggin County and Penobscot County. The event is Big Brothers Big Sisters’ largest annual fundraising effort, expected to raise $260,000 to support 700 children in coastal, eastern and central Maine.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Maine’s Executive Director Gwendolyn Hudson said money raised at Bowl for Kids’ Sake is critical in the agency’s work to create and support strong and enduring relationships between kids facing adversity (Littles) and their teen and adult mentors (Bigs).
“We are very grateful for the generosity of our sponsors, volunteers and the many teams who came out to support local kids through Bowl for Kids’ Sake,” Hudson said. “When you support Big Brothers Big Sisters, you help clear the path to a child’s greatest possible future. We couldn’t do it without our community.”
Bowl for Kids’ Sake helps fund local site and school-based programs pairing kids with high school mentors from Skowhegan, Messalonskee, Waterville, Winslow, Lawrence, Cony and Gardiner high schools. The program also supports community-based matches between children and adults throughout Kennebec and Somerset counties.
The top fundraisers were:
INDIVIDUAL FUNDRAISERS & SINGLE TEAMS:
Nate Cotnoir – $1,030.36 (team total $2,000.16); Terry Spenard-Church – $1,124 (team total $1,164.80); Kate Weymouth – $655 (team total $766.66).
FUNDRAISING BUSINESSES (MULTIPLE TEAMS):
Hannaford Supermarkets- $11,443.32; New Balance – $8,923.96; Camden National Bank – $5,559.42.
For more information about Bowl for Kids’ Sake, enrolling a child or becoming a volunteer or mentor, call 207-236-BBBS (2227) email info@bbbsmidmaine.org, or visit www.bbbsmidmaine.org.

TOP PHOTO: Camden National Bank employees Amanda Stanford, Donna York, Leanne Compton and Sarah Golden came out to Bowl for Kids’ Sake at Sparetime Recreation Center in Hallowell in support of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Maine. Teams from Camden National Bank and Hannaford Supermarkets, presenting sponsors of the event, and New Balance, were among the top fundraising teams. (Submitted photo)