Anaheim Ducks with my Little Brother
For the past couple months I've been hanging out with my new little brother, Miguel. Miguel and I were matched up through the Orange County Big Brother/Big Sister network, and we've had a blast. So far we've spent time out at Boomers, a local entertainment center with arcade games, minigolf, go-karts, rock climbing, batting cages, and more, have gone out for a few meals, and shot some pool. Turns out, Miguel is about 1 shot better than I am at minigolf, and I've got the upper hand on the pool tables!
This past Tuesday we were fortunate enough to have OC Bigs hook us up with tickets to see the Anaheim Ducks take on the Tampa Bay Lightning. For me, it was a cool game because the Lightning are challenging my Philadelphia Flyers for a playoff spot, so I had extra incentive to cheer for the Ducks. It turned out that this was the first time Miguel had ever gotten to see a sporting event live, so he was stoked. As luck would have it, we got to see a game with some good hits, awesome goalie saves, and 3-on-3 overtime as the Ducks ended up with a 2-1 win in overtime. That in & of itself was awesome, but the best part was how happy Miguel was to be attending --- look at the smile on his face, ear to ear!
We've had a great time together, and if you're looking for an opportunity to volunteer and make a real difference, the Big Brother, Big
Sister program is nationwide, with children everywhere looking for Big Brothers & Big Sisters. Here in Orange County, there is a wait list for children wanting to be matched with a Big, and the organization is extremely well organized with amazing training & orientation processes, so it makes volunteering extremely comfortable and easy.
The results of the work Big Brother Big Sister does are staggering - this organization is responsible for many children being the first in their family to finish high school and attend college. They help grades, and more importantly, confidence, improve among their littles, and they prepare them to lead a successful life.
January is National Mentoring Month, and if you're considering volunteer opportunities, I'd recommend starting by visiting the website of Big Brother Big Sister and finding out what opportunities are available in your area.
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