Sept. 10, 2009

PHILADELPHIA – Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern Pennsylvania (BBBS SEPA), in conjunction with Project Teamwork, presented in front of La Salle student-athletes on Thursday about the mentoring program that the organization provides.

The program consists of “one-to-one mentoring” which matches up a La Salle student-athlete (big) with a child from Logan Elementary School (little). Each pair is matched up for the entire academic year; however, the duo has the opportunity to continue the relationship into the next year. La Salle and Logan combined for 59 matches during the 2008-09 year and, looking ahead, hope to reach 75 in 2009-10.

“As I interact with the children over the course of the year, I see how much they appreciate the time they spend with their ‘bigs’. It is something they look forward to,” said Allaire Spears, the Match Support Specialist for BBBS SEPA. “For the ‘bigs’, not only is it a lot of fun but it gives them a chance to form a relationship with someone younger who looks up to them.”

Aside from Spears, other speakers at the event included Elizabeth Caldarola (Recruitment Specialist, BBBS SEPA), Mark Wilicki (Logan Principal), La Salle Athletic Director Dr. Thomas Brennan and three current La Salle student-athletes who are already involved in the mentoring program.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern Pennsylvania has been providing its mentoring services to the community for over 90 years. It is “the largest and oldest youth mentoring organization in Pennsylvania” and its short-term goal is to accommodate 7500 children on a yearly basis.

For more information on Big Brothers Big Sisters and/or Project Teamwork, please contact Sherman Diaz at diazs1@lasalle.edu.