VERSAILLES – This year’s Bowl for Kids’ Sake event, held at Bel-Mar Lanes in Sidney and McBo’s Lanes in Versailles, was a resounding success! As part of the nationally recognized Big Brothers Big Sisters initiative, the event provided a fun and engaging way for community members to support the organization’s life-changing mission.
Over 300 bowlers participated in the event, forming more than 60 teams across Shelby and Darke counties. Preliminary figures show that the Bowl for Kids’ Sake Bowl-A-Thon raised an impressive $30,000 to support Big Brothers Big Sisters of Shelby & Darke County. A special shout-out goes to our top bowler, Johnathan Gordon from Cargill, who scored a remarkable 238!
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Shelby & Darke County would like to extend heartfelt thanks to the many local businesses and organizations that supported this event. Our Game Changers, City of Sidney Employees, Hits 105.5, Premier Photo Journalism, Meyer’s Garage, and Sidney Elks Lodge #786 all played a pivotal role in ensuring the success of this year’s Bowl for Kids’ Sake Bowl-A-Thon. We would also like to recognize our Defenders of Potential, including Cargill, Carstar, Durnell Maier Law, Hydro Aluminum, MJS Plastics, Schafer Oil Company, Sidney Electric, State Farm Insurance by Andrew Shaffer, and Wayne Healthcare.
In addition, we appreciate the support from our Youth Empowers and Mission Advocates, which include AAA of Shelby County, Family Health Services of Darke County, FGKS Law, Kiwanis Club of Sidney, Midwest Ohio Dental, Mutual Federal Bank, Shelby County Board of Developmental Disabilities, Sidney Rotary Club, and others. Musketeers like Airstream, Anderson’s Marathon, Bruns Animal Clinic, and many more also stepped up to help strike a difference.
This year’s event also saw a strong showing in fundraising, with bowlers collecting over $4,500 in pledges to further support Big Brothers Big Sisters’ mission. Employees from the City of Sidney and Meyer’s Garage were top contributors. Bowlers who participated in the pledge challenge were entered into exciting prize drawings for their fundraising efforts.
“Thank you to everyone who made this event possible!” said April Brubaker, Executive Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Shelby & Darke County. “Your support directly impacts families, schools, neighborhoods, and entire communities. Thanks to our amazing supporters, we can continue to create and nurture one-to-one mentoring relationships that help ignite the power and promise of youth. Together, we are empowering the next generation to achieve their full potential.”
“Bowl For Kids’ Sake is more than just a fun event—it is a testament to the power of community. Seeing so many people come together to support mentorship and invest in the future of our youth is truly inspiring. Every bowler, donor, and sponsor plays a role in changing lives, and I am incredibly grateful to be part of this movement,” said Mitchell Meyer, Bowl For Kids’ Sake Chair.
Stay tuned for more exciting updates from Big Brothers Big Sisters, including the upcoming Duck Derby in June, our next big event!
About Big Brothers Big Sisters of Shelby & Darke County
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Shelby & Darke County is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing professionally supported mentorship to children of all backgrounds through the Site-Based Lunch Buddies and Community-Based programs. These one-to-one mentoring relationships help children build resilience, develop emotional intelligence, and improve their mental well-being. The organization supports the growth of local youth by fostering positive relationships with caring adult mentors.
Become a volunteer BIG today and help ignite, empower, and defend the potential of youth in our community. To learn more, visit our website at bigbrobigsis-shelbydarke.org or contact Executive Director April Brubaker at [email protected] or by phone at (937) 492-7611.
