January 20, 2012
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada (BBBSC) is the leading child and youth serving organization providing mentoring programs across the country. Supporting over 1,000 Canadian communities, its over 123 local agencies offer the service that the organization was founded on: one-to-one matching. Men and women (age 18 or older) give of their time to become a mentor to a young person who can greatly benefit from having an adult role model to look up to.
Raising awareness for Big Brothers Big Sisters is a perfect fit for OCAA. With over 200,000 full-time students attending OCAA member post-secondary institutions across the province, there are a number of potential recruits on Ontario campuses that would make exceptional mentors to youth within their communities. Currently, Big Brothers Big Sisters matches over 27,000 children nationally with adults in one-to-one programs. There remains over 10,000 kids looking for a Big Brother or Big Sister throughout Canada, including several in Ontario.
Several events are planned throughout OCAA over the next month, including:
| Date | School | Sport | Campus | Time |
| Jan. 21 | Algoma | Basketball | Sault Ste. Marie | 1 p.m. |
| Feb. 1 | Seneca | Volleyball | Newnham (Toronto) | 6 p.m. |
| Feb. 4 | Georgian | Volleyball | Barrie | 1 p.m. |
| Feb. 4 | Fleming | Basketball | Peterborough | 1 p.m. |
| Feb. 12 | St. Clair | Volleyball | Windsor | 1 p.m. |
| Feb. 14 | Seneca | Basketball | Newnham (Toronto) | 6 p.m. |
Last November, Niagara College’s women’s volleyball team held a special event recognizing Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Niagara. The event was successful in pairing new mentors to youth that would have otherwise remained on waiting lists.
Previously, the OCAA conducted a breast and prostate cancer awareness campaign which some member institutions continue today. It is estimated that OCAA institutions raised over $10,000 in two previous seasons for this cause.
For more information about Big Brothers Big Sisters, please visit BigBrothersBigSisters.ca.