ILWR presents Big Check to Big Brothers Big Sisters!
Written by Rachel Stern
Originally Published in the Ithaca Journal 9/6/11
Members of the Ithaca League of Women Rollers will share some of their moves as part of a fundraiser.
On Saturday, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ithaca will hold their fourth annual Roll for Kids’ Sake fundraising event from 10 a.m. to noon at Cass Park Skating Rink. Admission is $5, including skates.
Members of the Ithaca League of Women Rollers’ SufferJets and BlueStockings teams will skate alongside other event participants.
That same night, the BlueStockings will face off against the Royal Pains at 7:30 p.m. and 10 percent of the proceeds from the game will go to Big Brothers Big Sisters, said Kitty Gifford, a member of the SufferJets and one of the founders of the league.
“We generally are selective with which organizations we work with,” she said. “We get a lot of requests from great organizations and we try and stick with ones that work with youth, sports, issues of interest to women, or community-minded stuff. So Big Brothers Big Sisters is perfect.”
This is the third year the Women Rollers’ have partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters, she added. The organization establishes and nurtures friendships between adults and children in need of such friendship, according to its website.
Last year Big Brothers Big Sisters raised about $2,500 from the fundraiser, including money donated by the Ithaca League of Women Rollers, said Molly Bargar, client relations specialist. About 100 people participated in the open skate and she hopes that even more come this year.
“We would love to surpass those numbers,” she said.
The money raised is used for special opportunities for matches at Big Brothers Big Sisters, she said. One year, the organization bought gift certificates to the Ithaca Farmers Market for members of the organization to use with their match.
“We like to be able to give our matches special things to do outside of the program,” she said. “We are not sure what exactly we will do this year, but it is always great to provide special opportunities for them.”
