Campus Frisbee Event Will Benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters

To raise community awareness and recruit much-needed volunteers for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Virginia, a group of Radford University students this weekend will host Start Something with a Toss, a Frisbee competition.

"Big Brothers Big Sisters is one of our community partners, and it has helped children reach their potential through professionally supported one-to-one relationships with proven results," said Teresa Dickens, assistant director of the university's Office of Community Engagement.

The event from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday on Heth lawn, organized by RU's Exercise, Sport and Health Education Majors Club, will be a KanJam tournament, in which flying plastic discs are deflected into a can. Cost for admission to the public event is $5 per person.

Through the Office of Community Engagement, 12 Radford University students now serve as volunteer mentors with Big Brothers Big Sisters in its school-based program. Another 30 RU students are waiting to be matched with children, and 40 additional RU students are in the application process.

RU students meet with the children at their elementary schools for an hour a week, engaging in a variety of one-on-one activities. All "big" and "little" matches have a Big Brothers Big Sisters match support specialist assigned to them.

Funds raised at the event will help Big Brothers Big Sisters match more children with mentors. The cost to match a child with a mentor is about $1,000 per child, Dickens said.

Participants in the KanJam tournament will toss Frisbees through various targets and will receive a ticket for each successful throw. All tickets will be placed into a drawing for a chance to win prizes, many of which are being supplied by local businesses.

To learn more about the event, contact Dickens at (540) 831-6087 or tdickens2@radford.edu.