Philanthropy Today
Philanthropy Today
KS Big Brothers Big Sisters on the GMCF Community Hour Show Episode - 238
Big Brothers Big Sisters prepares for their fifth annual Manhattan fundraiser, a 1950s-themed cocktail party on September 20th at the K-State Alumni Center to support their youth mentorship programs.
• One-to-one mentoring connects caring adults with youth facing adversity to build long-lasting friendships
• This year's event transforms from a bourbon tasting to a Mad Men-inspired 1950s cocktail party
• Special auction items include diamond earrings and a mystery trip to an undisclosed location
• Event features photo opportunities, cocktail contests with local bartenders, and both silent and live auctions
• Currently serving 167 matches with approximately 47 children ready to be matched and 50 more in process
• Community member volunteers tend to maintain longer relationships with their "Littles" than college students
• Time commitment is manageable—just 30 minutes weekly for school-based or 4 hours monthly for community-based mentoring
• Anyone can be a "Big"—individuals, couples, and families are all welcome to participate
• The most important qualification is simply showing up consistently for a child who needs connection
Join us September 20th at the K-State Alumni Center in your 1950s attire. Visit The Manhattan on Facebook or kansasbigs.org under community events to purchase tickets or participate in the silent auction.
Philanthropy Today is brought to you by the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation. In this episode we feature a recently broadcast segment of the GMCF Community Hour, as heard on NewsRadio KMAN. We are back with the GMCF Community Hour here on NewsRadio KMAN and we are going to be talking about a special event that has become a fun annual thing that raises money for big brothers, big sisters, kansas big brothers, big sisters serving riley county, michelle sink and friends always bring a crowd yeah, I guess so. And you know what? It's a fun crowd it is.
Speaker 1:I have the funnest entourage that you'll ever meet uh-huh, yes, so our entourage here Now, this is not to be confused. Entourage is what, on HBO, I never saw it.
Speaker 3:It used to be on HBO.
Speaker 1:It used to be on HBO, is it no longer?
Speaker 3:I mean, it's been canceled for about 10 years.
Speaker 1:Okay good, I never saw it, so you know I'm familiar with it. I I'm going to have you pull your mic a little bit closer to you. Okay, All right.
Speaker 3:Does that?
Speaker 1:work. So they gave me this nice little postcard here that says Melissa Solden that's me, and Gabriela Vega Hello, I'm sure glad you gave me this card Be prepared. It takes a handful of people and a lot of fun people to pull off the Manhattan.
Speaker 2:It does.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you might give us a little bit of a rundown about what Big Brothers, big Sisters does.
Speaker 2:Sure. So we provide a one-to-one mentoring service between caring adults and youth facing some level of adversity, and we do a case friendship throughout that, hoping that it will be a long, lasting friendship that really changes the lives of kids in our community.
Speaker 1:I saw a picture of a recent match that you guys put on social media and obviously you know that. Those two just I can't remember the names, but they just look like they're ready to have some fun together.
Speaker 2:I think almost every time I see one of those pictures I genuinely see like a blooming relationship and you see all of the excitement and hope, not just for the kids but also for the adults that are going to mentor those kids.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, well, you guys do a lot of work and there's a lot of things that need to be done in the community to help with the process of getting everybody mashed up, and you have created a fun drazer.
Speaker 2:Yeah, is that what you call it? Yeah?
Speaker 1:Fun drazer.
Speaker 2:Fun drazer, yes, yes. Yeah, have you never heard that before. No, I think I thought I invented that word actually. Oh yeah, Maybe have you never heard that before? No, I think I thought I invented that word actually.
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, maybe it was. I call it a fundraiser, fundraiser, not yeah, but this is our fundraiser. This is your fundraiser.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's actually our fifth annual fundraiser I don't know where that time has gone here for the Manhattan, and we're changing things up a little bit, so we're super excited for that. We're changing things up a little bit, so we're super excited for that. In the past we've done it as a bourbon tasting, but as things have kind of evolved, we've decided that we want to try something new, and so we are going with a decades party, which is kind of the new thing with the Manhattan. The investment you make today will change lives forever, and so we're doing a 1950s theme this year, but not a cop type thing.
Speaker 2:No, sock hops here. It's a madman cocktail party another show I've never seen yeah, in some tv time, dave.
Speaker 3:What is wrong with you?
Speaker 1:I just just don't watch much TV. You know, I'm mostly a music guy, I'm a little bit, I just don't watch much TV.
Speaker 3:I've heard about that, about you. You're a music guy.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. So, gabriella, what's your role?
Speaker 3:here, one of the many wonderful businesses in town that support Big Brothers, big Sisters and are actual sponsors of the Manhattan event.
Speaker 2:Actually they are our community sponsors. So they have been our premier sponsors for our golf tournament and for the Manhattan and for our Bowl for Kids sake this year.
Speaker 1:What inspired Adair Law to get involved with Big Brothers, big Sisters?
Speaker 3:this year. What inspired Adair Law to get involved with Big Brothers, big Sisters? Well, simply, we believe that, as a business, it's not enough to just be in Manhattan and employ people and serve our clients. We believe that, in order to truly serve our community and to make it the kind of community that we want to be involved in, the kind of community that we want to be involved in, the kind of community that we want to live in, the kind of community that our employees want to live in, we must do things that support organizations that are doing great work. Our principal focus is on youth-based organizations, and so we tend to sponsor organizations that have a bent towards helping youth flourish.
Speaker 1:And Melissa Solden. You are on staff the big brothers, big sisters but you're also an entrepreneur and dealing with kids and a mom. You got all kinds of things going on here and you know this is just something. You bring vibrancy to anything and everything that you do, that's true.
Speaker 4:Is that right do?
Speaker 3:I know you guys well enough to say this out loud yes
Speaker 1:absolutely so you know, whenever you and I have worked together on events and we've done a lot of work on events together you just have this excitement level that is really tough for a lot of people to understand and grasp. So what is it? Match, yes. What is it about the Manhattan in 2025 that brings you joy?
Speaker 4:I think, just when we were sitting and reflecting on Manhattan 2024 and how impactful it was to, when we watched a video that a really special match Jeremy and Sirian had put together and it just moved people in the room, and so when we went to fill that room with, people continued people being able to see and engage with our matches, seeing and hearing what our program does, getting to hear from other bigs and being able to fill their room with more bigs 2025 started to come to life and we're really trying to make an impact for a long time for our community. That is something that we instill with our matches. It's a focus of wanting to bring matches on that will stay for a longevity, with kids starting them at that kindergarten, first grade, second grade level and matching them for their entirety, and it's really special to hear stories of people that are able to do that, and so we'll have an element of bigs being in the room, which we're excited about, and then I think, just really getting to share that story. I think, as we talk about really putting the fun in fundraising, I think that that's what makes the event special.
Speaker 4:And when Michelle and I were able to team up and work together at Big Brothers, big Sisters. I think that's been the most exciting thing. And then having community partners in the dares and coming on, it really has made for a really special event. And then our 50s theme that we have we have some cocktail contests that will be happening, some really special I mean we feel like at Big Billiards, big Sisters. I mean if we could have had a new heights show where we would showcase one of our auction items, we maybe could have broken the internet before Taylor and Travis did, but we were able to share it because we have a cool auction item.
Speaker 1:We all must have goals.
Speaker 4:So we have some, yeah, just really cool stuff that's going on.
Speaker 1:Michelle break out the details.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so it is coming up very soon, actually on September 20th, at the alumni center, starting at seven o'clock.
Speaker 1:You can dress as you want, so not just a black suit and skinny ties.
Speaker 2:I mean you can, I love that, but like, especially, I think, for the women, like we're all a little bit extra here in this room and so if you don't think that I have, four different dresses to choose from you would be wrong, because I do have four different dresses.
Speaker 3:Decisions are going to have to be made.
Speaker 4:Or costume changes. Yes, Cocktails.
Speaker 2:But I also don't want people to feel like they have to come dressed in a certain way. Dress as you want, but just come and have fun.
Speaker 1:Okay, all right. At the K-State Alumni Center.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:And that's a new venue for you this year.
Speaker 2:It is, it is, but I want Melissa to talk about, I think, one of our funnest things coming up, which is our yes.
Speaker 4:Melissa, let's talk about this, one of the funnest things that you've got coming up with care travel. They were kind enough to put together a trip that we'll have, and one of their specialties is starting to do mystery trips. So you share, no, our trip. We already. We already know, michelle and I have a secret envelope that has this location in it that just the two of us, as well as our partners at care travel, know about, but we will be sending someone, through raffle ticket purchases to a mystery location that will raffle off that night sounds like fun.
Speaker 1:We are at. A live auction is part of this live auction.
Speaker 4:Yes, we'll have seven really cool uh experiences and items um Jewelry will be part of it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, thanks to G Thomas. Bobby over there gave us a really beautiful set of one and a half carat diamond earrings.
Speaker 3:I'm going to have to bid on that.
Speaker 1:Did you hear Gabrielle just go?
Speaker 3:boom.
Speaker 1:What do you mean? Going to have to bid on that? No, you're going to have to win that bid on that.
Speaker 3:That's that's what you're thinking.
Speaker 4:That is exactly what I'm thinking uh-huh absolutely as the guests enter that evening we'll have two really special areas to take fun photos, so kind of think about your 1950s photos that you want to have. We we'll have some people styling people, so really cool takeaways. But also we'll have a cocktail contest and we have three really special bartenders coming to represent full circle Speak easy and Aero Cocktail Lounge, so they'll be, competing for special helping.
Speaker 1:Is Owen one of those?
Speaker 4:No, okay, yeah, we don't know yet who all is going to be. We're along with that mystery cocktail bartender. That mystery is we don't know who it's going to be yet. Mystery celebrity bartenders right, yes, really now. Buy your tickets and you'll find out.
Speaker 1:All right, September 20. How do you get tickets, Michelle?
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, you can go to our Facebook page. We actually have a Facebook page called the Manhattan and on there there is a link to everything that you would want to be, whether it's a sponsor. Buy a ticket, donate an auction item, and then we'll also be having our auction items listed on there if you want to bid, because we will open our silent auction a little bit early and you won't have to be present to win the silent auction items. So if you're not able to buy a ticket, but you still want to give back to Big Brothers, big Sisters, you're welcome to hop online and check those out.
Speaker 1:And that website is kansasbigsorg.
Speaker 2:For our website. Yes, and then you have to go to communities and then to events to find us that direction.
Speaker 1:Navigate around, you'll find it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, but if you do the Facebook page, you can go directly to the link, because it has a link to it, right, cool?
Speaker 1:Awesome. Well, Michelle, let's talk a bit about some of the functions within Big Brothers, Big Sisters. So how many matches do you have currently?
Speaker 2:We have about 167.
Speaker 1:That's up, isn't it?
Speaker 2:It is. It is One of the things that we've seen happen a lot recently is we've had a lot more community members that have been applying to be bigs, and those community members tend to stay in their matches longer, which is very awesome. We love our college students, but we typically know that those will be a two-year match, which is still great, and we love that those kids are being served, but having those community members is so vital and so important. I really look at our program as we are one of the few programs that's proactive in changing our community, not reactive. So our job is really to make sure that we're changing what Manhattan will look like in the future by helping these kids.
Speaker 1:Okay. Do you have a bunch of kids on the waiting list?
Speaker 2:We'll always have a bunch of kids on the waiting list. We actually don't do any recruiting. We have about 47 kids right now that are ready to be matched, so, and then we have about probably another 50 that are in the queue, that are going through their interview processes and getting their families interviewed, and all of that.
Speaker 1:There always seems to be some terrific stories that you can tell about the matches between your bigs and littles. What comes to mind when I ask you for one example?
Speaker 2:I'm always going to tell you my favorite story, which is about my little sister, sophie, and I have been matched for going. It'll be five years in October.
Speaker 1:So you practice what you preach.
Speaker 2:I do, I do. I'm picking her up from school today and hanging out. I'm going to give her the choice that we can go to to maybe to who hot or and eat, or I'm going to see if she wants to come over and help me decorate for Halloween, because it is. It is August and it's almost over, so we've got to get that Halloween going. It's almost September, it's Halloween time.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, we only have the Manhattan right in between Right.
Speaker 2:But one of the things I think that's really impactful. So we've actually been school based so up until this summer we have just had lunch at school once a week during the school year. We don't meet over the holidays. We didn't meet over the summertime, but in that time we've still developed a really, really great friendship and we knew that we were going to be converting to be a site plus, which means we'll meet at school but we can also do stuff outside of school. And I did my part. But her mom is very busyn't gotten their part of their conversion interview completed and her mom texted me and said Sophia is really struggling this summer and she's isolating herself, she's not taking care of herself, she seems really sad and one of the things that she keeps asking me is when do I get to see Michelle? And then I read that and then I started to cry and um, I might cry now, um, so like yeah.
Speaker 2:I know that we like really just make an impact on those kids and, um, I'm not her mom, I'm genuinely her friend and you know we hang out, we try new foods, we do all of that stuff. But just showing up for that kid is so important, so important, Just showing up.
Speaker 1:There are always some myths about being a big.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there are. I think that one of them is time. People think that I don't have time to do that, but really what I ask for your time is either 30 minutes of your lunch or during your work day, just during the school year, once a week. And then, if you're meeting in a community-based match, I'd ask you that you commit to meeting twice a month for at least one to two hours, so four hours max.
Speaker 2:And if you are married, you can still be a big. You can be a big as an individual, you can be a big as a couple. I have one married couple. They are both bigs. She has a little sister, he has a little brother. They do stuff apart from each other, but then they also sometimes do stuff with the four of them. And you can be a big as a family. So the husband and wife or the partners can all be background checked so you can transport that child, but then that kid can come just do stuff as, not as a foster child, but just as as a friend coming along. And so I think that having the time and and and, then people say like, well, I'm not qualified or I'm not good enough. I'm like can you just show up, because just showing up is what they need. They don't need somebody that has an immense amount of talent or that is great with kids, because sometimes you might not be great with kids, but you know you might be a great friend to a teenager.
Speaker 1:Melissa, we uh a little bit short on time, but give us the details again on the Manhattan.
Speaker 4:Yes, join us September 20th in your 1950s attire at the K-State Alumni Center. Go to the Manhattan on Facebook or visit us at kansasbigsorg. Navigate to community events and find us there.
Speaker 1:And Gabriella Vega. We appreciate your support and the engagement in the community that Adair Law has.
Speaker 3:Thank you. We're so honored to be part of this community and we're so honored to be part of Big Brothers, big Sisters.
Speaker 1:In our next segment, flint Hills Volunteer Center's Executive Director, lori Bishop, will be joining us. This is the GMCF Community Hour here on NewsRadio KMAN. You can always find out more about the work that is being done here at the GMCF on our website, mcfksorg.