Agency set for comedy night Saturday

LANCASTER - Big Brothers Big Sisters of Fairfield County will host its eighth annual comedy night fundraiser at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Eagles Event Center.

The show will feature comedians Mike Armstrong and Keith McGill. Newly-minted executive director Jolyn Pugh said she hopes her organization can raise $5,000 from the event. The local Big Brothers Big Sisters chapter has an annual budget of about $210,000.

"Our funding, we have two grants," Pugh said. "One is through United Way, and we have one through the ADAMH (Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health) board. And that's 50 percent of our budget. The rest of our budget, the other 50 percent, is fundraising and donations."

There will be food and a cash bar available and tickets to the Big Brothers Big Sisters' new Dream Big Gala on Aug. 8 will be raffled off. Also, those who want to donate to Big Brothers Big Sisters can do so with donation jars on each table.

"So everyone can give their change," Pugh said. "We would appreciate that. Change for change. Donate some of your change to change a child's life."

Big Brothers Big Sisters matches children 6 to 18 with adult mentors. The mentors must spend at least four hours a month with the child doing a multitude of activities. The activities can include anything from going fishing to helping with school work and much more. Pugh said the agency is looking for more male mentors because there is a waiting list of boys needing a match.

The organization also has a school-based program where high school students spend time with elementary students.

Pugh said it costs around $800 to $900 to match a child and mentor for a year. The local branch last served 318 children.

"So that's quite a bit of money that we need to raise," Pugh said.

Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at www.bbbs-fairfieldoh.org or a local Standing Stone Bank office. They are also available at the Big Brothers Big Sisters office at 111 S. Broad St.

The comedy show is open to anyone 18 and older.

The Eagles Event Center is located at 1936 E. Main St.

The Big Brothers Big Sisters website says the national organization dates back to 1904 in New York when court clerk Ernest Coulter saw more young boys coming through the court system. Ladies of Charity was serving young girls at the time. That group later became Catholic Big Sisters, before merging with Big Brothers in 1977 to become the current Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

jbarron@lancastereaglegazette.com

740-681-4340

Twitter: @JeffDBarron