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"A Family Tradition for 127 Years" Big Brothers/Sisters association may be forced to By Julia Dempsey Port Perry Star When Barbara Wood signed up to be a Big Sister a year ago, it was for purely selfish reasons. The self-employed entrepren- eur admits she didn't join the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Associ- ation of North Durham because she wanted to be a volunteer, but because she wanted the companionship that came with the position. "I wanted a friend," says Ms. Wood, a marketing specialist. "I wanted someone to share things with. I love to play and I have a really wild imagination, but I find people my own age really boring." Through the association, Ms. Wood was matched with Angela Chaves, a Grade 5 student at Prince Albert Public School, and for them, it was a match made in heaven. Although the association stip- ulates that the Bigs spend about four hours a week with their Lit- tles, Ms. Wood and Angela quite often spend more than the re- quired time commitment to- gether. "To me, it's not just a matter of putting in the four hours a week," Ms. Wood says. The pair do everything to- gether from going to Blue Jays games, to spending the week- end at the cottage, to just hang- ingout togetherathome. They recently planted a flow- er garden at Ms. Wood's Ux- bridge home. They plan to watch it grow and flourish, just like their relationship has. Unfortunately, many more prospective Bigs and Littles in the area may never experience the same companionship Ms. Wood and Angela share. The Big Brothers/Big Sisters Association of North Durham may be forced to close its doors within five weeks if additional funding and volunteers cannot be found. The association has an annu- al operating budget of $40,000. This year, the group has only been able to raise one-quarter of that amount. Big Brothers/Big Sisters ap- plied for a $10,000 Trillium grant, but was turned down. The organization has also ap- plied for United Way funding, but were told their chances of re- ceiving a grant are slim, says Patti Goreski, the association's executive director. She says she can't under- stand the lack of available fund- ing for the program. "From the political point of view, if the association can help the children at the volunteer stage, it is less likely they will have to go for counselling in the future," she says. close its doors A special bond exists between Angela Chaves and Barbara # Wood. Barbara has been Angela's "Big Sister" for the past year and the match has been a good tonic for both of them. They are pictured with Angela's kitten Sheba beside the garden they planted together. "We don't want to close up," Mrs. Goreski adds. "We do this for the kids." The association has planned a number of activities to raise money. Volunteers will be sell- ing beer and food at the GM Pro Bass tournament June 26-27. They have also organized a baby contest. Parents who enter their child in the contest collect votes from friends and rela- tives. A penny represents one vote and the child with the most votes In each category is the winner. The categories are new- born to two years of age, two- five years of age, and twins. Par- ents may register their child at The Children's Den. Winners will be announced during Festi- val Dayson Saturday, July 12. But the profits from these events won't be enough to keep the organization afloat. Mrs. Goreski says corporate and pub- licdonations will be needed. The association is also suffer- ing from a lack of manpower. "We need more board mem- bers to help generate new ideas and to help run the activities," Mrs. Goreski says. The Big Brothers organiza- tion was first introduced to the. North Durham area in 1976. Big Sisters came on stream in 1987. At present, matches, but many Bigs and Littles still remain on the wait- ing list. In Scugog, two women and one man are waiting for Littles, while five boys are in need of Bigs. The statistics are identical in Brock Township. In Uxbridge Township, five women and five boys are on the waitinglist. -- Anyone interested in donat- ing money, becoming a board member, or becoming a Big Brother or Sister, should call the organization at 985-3733. "I'm sure a lot of the Bigs and Littles will get together unoffi- cially if the organization was to fold," Ms. Wood says. "But there will be no one there to give ad- vice, to counsel, or to answer questions. This organization is Just too important to lose." ~ available at 'OFFICE CENTRE . 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