Get your team together for a day of bowling fun for a great cause! The Fifth Annual Hoosick Bowl for Kids, sponsored by Saint Gobain and W.C.W., Inc., is set for Saturday, January 3, at Barbecue Recreation in Hoosick Falls. This year’s event will benefit MentorWorks, a new program to help youth in the Hoosick Falls community develop their talents and skills through one-on-one partnerships with caring adults. Proceeds will be used to provide local matching funds needed to fully capture the Department of Education grant awarded to this program. MentorWorks is administered by the Hoosick Area Partnership for Parents & Youth (HAPPY).
There will be two waves of bowlers at this year’s Hoosick Bowl for Kids. The first begins at 1:30 pm and the second begins at 3 pm. Each wave is limited to ten teams of five bowlers. Team Captains are encouraged to register early to get their first choice of wave time. A minimum of $40 in donations is required per team member, so the sooner teams begin gathering pledges the better. Pledge sheets will be given to team captains when they register. To register, call Aelish Nealon at 686-9 050 or contact her at the Youth Center.
All bowlers will receive a Hoosick Bowl for Kids T-shirt. Several great prizes will be raffled off during each wave, and our generous host, Barbecue Recreation, will have snacks available for sale. If you cannot bowl, please come and support the event or make a pledge to one of the bowling teams.
Barbecue Recreation has agreed to donate the bowling time and the two primary sponsors, Saint Gobain and W.C.W., Inc. have already committed to the event. Strike, Spare and Lane sponsors are still needed. HAPPY is a 501(c)(3) organization and sponsorships paid by December 31 are fully tax deductible for 2008. Please call Aelish Nealon at 686-9050 if you would like additional information on being a sponsor.
About MentorWorks
MentorWorks is an important component of HAPPY’s efforts to support the youth of Hoosick Falls. Mentors provide friendship and encouragement to young people from all types of homes and all social and economic levels. They help youth develop their strengths and talents and reinforce the positive efforts made by other significant adults in their lives, such as teachers and parents. By supporting them during times of personal or social stress and providing guidance for decision making, mentors help children and youth become responsible men and women.
People from all walks of life are mentors. Men, women, senior citizens, young adults, business people, stay at home parents – all are welcome to apply. Juniors and seniors at Hoosick Falls Central School are also invited to be mentors. No special skills are needed, just an interest in supporting a child or teen in a safe, supervised setting and a willingness to give at least an hour a week of your time throughout the year.
The mentees are young people in fourth through eighth grade at Hoosick Falls Central School or St. Mary’s Academy. Matches are based on common interests, schedules, gender, desired meeting location (the child’s school or the Youth Center) and compatibility. Both the mentor and mentee (along with his or her parent or guardian) must approve of the match.
To learn more about MentorWorks and being a mentor, please contact Aelish Nealon at the Youth Center at 686-9050.