BBBS’ BIG Fall Carnival = Big Fun
Popcorn, snow cones, inflatable slides, and hula hoops were all part of Big Brothers Big Sisters’ BIG Fall Carnival on Saturday, October 29. It was a fall celebration that welcomed an excited crowd of over 300 children, families, and friends to Big Brothers Big Sisters’ new Bennett-Rathgeber Mentoring Center in Rathgeber Village.
There were plenty of treats and smiles as many kids came dressed in their Halloween costumes to enjoy the day. “What a great kickoff event for our new facility,” said Brent Fields, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters. “It was a special day for our matches and guests alike.”
“This event perfectly reflects the new opportunities that our mentoring center will make possible,” Fields continued. “This new space will allow us to serve larger numbers of kids, families and volunteers, to partner with other organizations, and to bring community members together in new ways.”
“We could never have had an event like this at our old facility. We’ve expanded our space and, in so doing, we’ve expanded the kinds of opportunities we can offer those we serve. It’s going to be exciting to see our carnival grow year to year, to watch our organization grow, and to see our impact on the community grow as well.”
“A special ‘thank you’ to Katharine and Ted Barnhill, a former Big Brother and board member, whose generous sponsorship made this event possible.”
Bigs, Littles and employees alike had a great time Saturday. “The best part was watching the kids run up and down the line of games,” laughed Saul Espinoza, one of BBBS’ match support specialists. “You could tell that some parents wanted to slow down a bit, but the kids were having a great time and they just wanted to try everything. I overheard one kid saying ‘I just keep winning!’ He was excited about doing so well at all the different games he was trying.”
The free event was reminiscent of an old-fashioned country fair. Activities included a cake walk, an inflatable slide, a basketball toss, a bean bag throw, an inflatable wrecking ball game, hula hoops, face painting and much more. There were also lots of special treats.
Numerous sponsors and agency partners provided refreshments. Honest Tea supplied drinks. Wells Fargo Bank and BBBS’ board member Carlos Barbosa made freshly popped popcorn, and Edible Arrangements owner and former Big Sister Reva Enzminger provided delicious ‘ghost pops’ (ghost shaped pineapple slices dipped in chocolate) that were quite ‘pop-ular.’
“The chocolate covered pineapples were probably the biggest hit! Ok, maybe that was my favorite,” Big Brother Abraham Salas remarked. “My Little Brother, Kevin, enjoyed the snacks as well as the football ladder game and the bean bag throwing game. Although we didn’t join in on the inflatable wrecking ball, we enjoyed watching others participate. All of the inflatable games were awesome.”
Representatives from Austin Fire Department Station No. 14 and Austin Emergency Medical Services were also on hand to talk with children and to show off their trucks and equipment.
BBBS’ carnival brought together a diverse group of participants: Bigs, Littles and their families, children and families from BBBS’ waiting list, BBBS’ alumni, board members, staff members, former staff members, and friends, along with children from the Austin Children’s Shelter.
“This was a historic event that marked an important moment in time for our agency,” Fields concluded. “This is the first time in our 45-year history that we’ve been able to invite all of the people connected with BBBS to our space… to our ‘house.’ Our new mentoring center is, and will be, a gathering place…a meeting place… a place to bring people together. And bringing people together is what our organization is all about.”
