BBBS Unveils Rebranding, Tips Hat To K21 Foundation
BBBS Unveils Rebranding, Tips Hat To K21 Foundation
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Dan Spalding-dspalding@timesuniononline.com
BBBS Unveils Rebranding, Tips Hat To K21 FoundationWINONA LAKE – Big things were happening at the Winona Heritage Room Tuesday night as Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kosciusko County hosted its fifth annual dinner celebration.
The 260 people in attendance marked the biggest gathering in its five years, and organizers used the opportunity to unveil part of a new branding effort.
The audience at the Heritage Room saw a new video that is part of the rebranding.
The change in marketing will reflect the organization’s desire to double down on its commitment specifically toward finding more matches for boys, according to BBBS Chief Executive Officer Josette Rider.
A new logo and new tag line that are part of the rebranding will be unveiled in January, according to Shelley Schwab, development director for BBBS of northeast Indiana.
About 70 percent of those awaiting a “Big” match are boys. “The sense of urgency for male volunteers is huge,” Schwab said.
Billed as The Big Celebration, the event was an opportunity to seek out new participants in the program and a fundraiser, the group’s biggest of the year.
Kosciusko County is one of 12 counties that are part of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeastern Indiana.
In the past year, Kosciusko County had nearly 200 matches with adults and children and is the second largest among the 12 counties to receive support in the region, behind only Allen County.
Locally, about 35 children are on a waiting list hoping to connect with a big brother or sister, Schwab said.
During Tuesday’s event, organizers recognized K21 Health Foundation for its role in supporting the community and presented it with the Charles D. “Charlie” Smith Award.
In previous years, BBBS used the award to honor individuals, such as former Warsaw Mayor Ernie Wiggins, who received the award last year.
K21 Health Foundation was established 20 years ago from the sale of the nonprofit Kosciusko Community?Hospital. Its mission it to assist nonprofit groups involved with a range of health initiatives.
The award presentation included a video featuring numerous community leaders touting the foundation’s impact.
Smith, who died three years ago in a plane crash, worked with Wiggins to help establish the annual BBBS dinner.
K21 provided money this year for an increased marketing effort, Schwab said.
“They are so instrumental in the entire community,” Schwab said. “It just made sense that they should receive this award for being a driving force behind that.”
K21 Health Foundation’s CEO and President Rich Haddad accepted the award and thanked Rider for her passion and leadership.
BBBS’s commitment to building relationships is the group’s “magic sauce,” Haddad said.
“So many different health struggles require a meaningful relationship to move forward, so the model of BBBS is so critical to match people with other people,” Haddad said.
The event also spotlighted a local match between Terry Milton and a teenager, Carson. Both spoke of their growing bond, in part because they both lost their mothers early in life.
The event included a fashion show that teamed up local matches. There was also a silent auction.
