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| Shedonica Ashworth, second from left |
Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta shut down Ten Pin Alley, in the city’s popular Atlantic Station mixed-use complex to raise money for the organization through its annual “Big Event.”
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| Atlanta Falcons Cheerleaders |
The Big Event’s night of bowling, dancing – kicked off by the Atlanta Falcons Cheerleaders, and food was organized by Shedonica Ashworth, director of special events, to give the community an opportunity to bolster BBBS’ bottom line through silent auctions and direct donations.
“What we achieve here tonight directly affects our program. The money goes into making matches. We have over 700 little boys on our waiting list, so for each $1,000 raised, we match and support that match for a year with $1,000 dollars,” said Ashworth.
The organization’s president and CEO, Janice McKenzie-Crayton, couldn’t have been more pleased with what the night was meant to accomplish.
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| Janice McKenzie-Crayton |
“I’ve been the CEO for 18 years now and it really is my heart’s work,” she said. “So many of our children just need someone to think that they are special and to tell them that they are special and the difference between anybody who makes it and those who don’t is a mentor in their life.”
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| Gerald Carter |
Gerald Carter, currently a volunteer and a graduate of Tuskegee University’s Engineering School, has firsthand knowledge of the impact of organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters:
“I was raised by a single mom, and personally I still have issues because of that,” he says. “I just forgave my father a year or so ago and I’m starting to grow from it … I’m just trying to help out where I can. That’s why I joined BBBS, because there’s typically not a father in the home and so many young boys are looking for a male figure.”
The support for the organization by willing volunteers like Carter has been tremendous over the years, but there is still a deficit of adult males to meet the demands of young boys who are part of the program.
“Get up and just do it. We have about 700 little boys that need to be matched and all we need is a willing spirit from some guys,” said McKenzie-Crayton. “Every day we get an opportunity to work for, or work on behalf of the next generation of citizens.”
BBBS is one of the largest one-to-one mentoring organizations in the nation, according to the organization’s website. It currently serves over 2,800 youth in one-to-one relationships with caring adult volunteers.
For more information, log on to www.bbbsatl.org.
