Big Brothers Big Sisters Hawaii's Monthly e-Newsletter

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Aloha Friend of Big Brothers Big Sisters Hawai'i,

Greetings from sunny Orlando, Florida where I am currently attending the Big Brothers Big Sisters National Conference! It has been a great week and we are excited to share ideas between hundreds of staff from over 200 affiliates across the country, all with the same goal of creating life-changing friendships for children and mentors.

What is extra special is that one of our very own matches from Hawaii made the COVER of this year's national conference program! Take a look below to see Jody and Skyler as this year's superstars! We come back to Hawaii refreshed and inspired, ready to embrace the remaining half of 2016.

Thank you for reading our newsletter. We love sharing the smiles and stories of our kids each month.

Dennis Brown
President / CEO

PS. Don't forget that TODAY is the last day to purchase pizza for a cause. Mention 'ALOHA' when you order from Papa John's for BBBS to receive a portion of the proceeds.

ICYMI (in case you missed it)

Little Sister Lauren (age 13) represented Big Brothers Big Sisters Hawaii on the PBS TV show INSIGHTS on June 24. The topic was “children growing up without a father in the home” and Lauren was one of the panelists which also included a single parent, a psychologist and a case manager from another youth program. Click the link to watch and hear Lauren's amazing story!

Match Maker of the Month

Aubrey Hawk - Monthly Donor Since July 2014
"Being a Match Maker is the next best thing to being a Big, not to mention it’s easy and painless. Plus, when I view my charitable giving relative to my other monthly expenses, it really puts things in the right perspective.”

For just $25/month you can help match a child in Hawaii with a mentor. Not everyone can be a Big, but anyone can be a Match Maker! Click HERE for more information about how to participate.

Island Scoops (from Hawaii Island, Oahu, Kauai & Maui)

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hawaii Island

Big Sister Laura, Little Sister Cheyenne, Little Sister Gloria, and Big Sister Fran had fun this month watching Alice Through the Looking Glass together. When asked what they enjoyed most, they said laughing with each other, and of course, eating lots of popcorn!

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Honolulu

"Through our match, I have taught Jazzy that fishing can be fun even when our lines get hopelessly tangled and we must watch helplessly from the dock as the fish simply eat our bait and swim away; that college is within her reach, despite none of her family members having attended; that there is a world outside of one where she is limited by social disadvantage and the seemingly cyclical nature of poverty; but most importantly, I have taught Jazzy that she will always have a prominent place in my life. Today, I’m just glad to be able to give her a reprieve, a few times a month, to be a kid, have fun, and connect with an adult that absolutely adores her." ~ Big Sister Lesley Harvey, 2016 Community-Based Big Sister of the Year

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kauai

We welcome a new Community-Based match to our Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kauai family! Big Sister Kailee and Little Sister Jasci have already been on their first outing and found out they share the same birthday. Here’s a photo of them on their first get-together. They are getting along “swimmingly.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Maui

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Maui was named the top rated agency and picked among 37 excellent non-profits as Maui United Way’s Partner Agency of the Year! Click the photo of Maui Executive Director, JD Wyatt, with Maui United Way's Chief Professional Officer, Laksmi Abraham, for the full story!

Mahalos (we couldn't do what we do without YOU!)

We are thrilled with our new partnership with Kaua’i Cycle! Mahalo to Jason and the team for giving our Community-Based matches the opportunity to rent bikes for FREE so that they can enjoy a beautiful bike ride along the shores of the east portion of Kaua’i. We are grateful and appreciate your support. MAHALO!

Mahalo to all of our sponsors and to those who made our 29th Annual Bowl Like A Rock Star event a success. Rock on to the following sponsors: Monsanto, HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union, Maui Electric Company, The Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas, Aloha International Employment, Inc., American Savings Bank, Bug Man Termite & Pest Control, Inc., First Hawaiian Bank, Goodfellow Bros, Hale Mahaolu, Maui Medical Group, Maui United Way, Oceanic Time Warner Cable, Savers, Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa, Ace Beats, Central Pacific Bank, Aloha Waste, Hawaiian Cement, County of Maui, VIP Foodservice, Maui Bowling Center, & Patrick Kim Photography.

Congratulations to Kauai’s 2015-2016 Aloha Shoyu Scholarship Recipients and School-Based Bigs of The Year: Coleman Langstaff and Ritikaa Kumar! Coleman is the third brother in the Langstaff family to be a Big. In fact, the three brothers have volunteered for a combined 10 years! Coleman will go on to attend CAL Poly State University.

Ritikaa has served as a Big Sister for four years and is always an active participant in everything Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kauai does! Ritikaa will be attending the University of Oregon. Best of luck in your future endeavors Coleman and Ritikaa and a big MAHALO to Aloha Shoyu for supporting our college-bound leaders!

We are grateful for the Kanaka Hekili Motorcycle Club for hosting their annual chicken sale fundraiser on Sunday, June 26. Mahalo to everyone who came out to support and to everyone who put in so much time and effort to make this event a success!

Mahalo to Maui Zipline Company for providing free zip tours for all of our matches during the entire month of May. We truly appreciate this annual opportunity. Everyone had a blast!

The team at Isle Media is the BEST! Not only did they help us create two awesome videos earlier this year (which you can view here), but they also included us in their 5th Anniversary Celebration on June 9! HBD, Isle Media!

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kauai participated the Department of Education's first ever Professional Resource Fair. It was a great opportunity to connect with other agencies to establish new partnerships. We appreciate Kauai Superintendent Bill Arakaki and his team for providing this opportunity and for our continued partnership with the DOE!

BIG Mahalos to Arthur Aiu from the Board of Water Supply for giving our Oahu group a special Saturday tour learning about rain, dikes and reservoirs and how water finally reaches our faucets. It was a fascinating, educational and fun excursion into the beautiful Koolau Mountains!

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kauai attended the ACE (Adverse Child Experiences) Conference to learn how traumatic and stressful experiences during childhood can affect adult health. This further emphasizes the importance of providing a caring adult and safe place through quality mentoring. Mahalo to the Kauai Rural Health Association & Prevent Child Abuse Hawaii for their hard work in bringing this conference to Kaua’i. Please click on this video link to learn more about this important study: TED Talks—ACE study

Upcoming Events

MAUI – July 12: Flatbread Pizza Company’s Benefit (open to all!) Come enjoy pizza between 5-10pm to benefit our mentoring programs on Maui!

MAUI – July 22: Kaunoa Senior Services Civic Adventures will be visiting as 'Bigs for the Day' at our Mentor Center. The day will include friendship Bingo, a craft, reading, and math flashcards. Lunch and an ice cream social will be included. Contact Courtney at ccabebe@bbbshawaii.org if you are interested in volunteering as a mentor.

OAHU - Papa John's Charity of the Month (open to all!) - today is the LAST DAY! Use the promo code "ALOHA" when ordering Papa John's to help BBBS raise money! Mahalo to our friends at Papa John's for including us in this campaign during the month of June!

OAHU - July 9: Locations Foundation Movie Day, Ward Theatres (open to matches and families) - Each year the Locations Foundation generously sponsors a summer movie day for Big Brothers Big Sisters and Boys & Girls Club. Join us to watch “The Secret Life of Pets” - registration begins at 8am. This year's essay question is: If you could talk to animals, what animal would you talk to and why did you choose that animal? Tell us about the conversation you’d have with that animal. Contact Nate at nfong@bbbshawaii.org for more details.

OAHU - July 23: Book Group (open to Holomua matches only) time & location TBD. Join us to discuss “Speak” by Laurie Halse - you will be given the book to read this summer. Contact Margaret at mcadiz@bbbshawaii.org for more information.

OAHU - July 24: United Stangs 808 & Black Kings Car Wash (open to all!) from 9am-3pm at the Fleet Reserve Association located near the Airport on the corners of Valkenburgh & Nimitz Hwys at 891 Valkenburgh Street. Volunteers welcome. Please contact Nate at nfong@bbbshawaii.org for more information.

OAHU - August 6: Hawaiian Island Twisters Olympic Themed Match Gymnastics Day (Limited to 25 matches) from 3:00-6:00pm at 1151 Mapunapuna. This will be a super fun day filled with demonstrations from competitive gymnasts, an obstacle course, team competition (with medals and certificates), open gym time, free food, and free T-shirts! No gymnastics experience necessary; just come ready to have fun! Contact your Case Manager to RSVP.

OAHU - August 20: Kawailoa Wind Farm Tour, North Shore (open to matches only) 10am - 12:30pm with lunch included. Limited to 10-matches. Contact your Case Manager for more information.

OAHU - September 10 & 17: Disco Bowl For Kids’ Sake (open to all!) Grab your friends and come bowling to support our biggest annual fundraiser. This year the theme is "disco" so get groooooovy and click HERE to learn more about how to participate. If you are interested in sponsorship, please contact Bri at blovett@bbbshawaii.org.

OAHU - October 6: Big City Diner will be partnering with BBBS for a special sales promotion. Save the date for details to come!

OAHU - October 13: Ladies Night Out At Alex & Ani (open to all!) Join us for a special ladies night out at Alex & Ani Charity By Design's new location at Ala Moana. Save the date for details to come!

OAHU - October 15: Monsanto Farm Tour, Kunia, Waipahu (open to matches only) 8:30am-12:30pm including lunch. Contact your Case Manager for more information.

OAHU - December 10: Breakfast With Santa (open to all!). Join us for our annual Christmas fundraising event at Kualoa Ranch which raises money for scholarships for Littles to attend college. Save the date for details to come!