(BPRW) Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Announces National Partnership with Gillette to Engage More Men as Mentors

Nationwide effort pairs community flag football events with sustained, network-wide support to help local agencies reduce waitlists

(Black PR Wire) TAMPA, Fla. – Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) and Gillette today announced a national partnership to bring more mentors into the lives of young men through the unifying power of sports.

The collaboration will mobilize local Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies and community partners to create a series of 10 welcoming flag football experiences across the country that connect prospective “Bigs” (mentors) with boys currently waiting to be matched with a mentor. Events will take place in Boston, MA; San Francisco, CA; Kansas City, MO; Dallas, TX; Tampa, FL; Cincinnati, OH; Detroit, MI; Seattle, WA; New Orleans, LA; and Phoenix, AZ.

Nationwide, there are tens of thousands of young people on Big Brothers Big Sisters’ waitlists, and the majority of them are boys.

Prospective “Bigs” at each flag football event will learn what it means to be a “Big for a Day” in their community, all while connecting with “Littles” on a topic critical to their success in adulthood, from personal care to conflict resolution, to helping them realize their best and full potential.

“When caring adults show up, youth do better in school, they make better decisions, they gain confidence, and as a result, communities grow stronger,” said Artis Stevens, President & CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. “Together with Gillette, we’re creating intentional spaces where men can experience the joy of showing up and take the first step toward becoming a Big.”

Beyond game days, the partnership will create opportunities to amplify resources across the Big Brothers Big Sisters network to help agencies recruit more male mentors.

“At Gillette we have long believed in sport’s ability to bring people together,” said Pankaj Bhalla, Senior Vice President of North America Grooming at P&G. “Through our shared ambition with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, we will enable thousands of meaningful connections for young men with potential mentors, all through something as simple as a game of flag football.”

For more information about how to become a mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters, visit www.bbbs.org.

About Big Brothers Big Sisters of America

Founded in 1904, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is the largest and most experienced youth mentoring organization in the United States. The mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. Big Brothers Big Sisters’ evidence-based approach is designed to create positive youth outcomes, including educational success, avoidance of risky behaviors, higher aspirations, greater confidence, and improved relationships. Big Brothers Big Sisters serves more than 5,000 communities across all 50 states. For more information, visit: bbbs.org.

About Gillette

For more than 120 years, Gillette has delivered precision technology and unrivaled product performance – improving the lives of over 800 million consumers around the world. From shaving and body grooming to skin care and sweat protection, Gillette offers a wide variety of products including razors, shave gel (gels, foams, and creams), skin care, aftershaves, antiperspirants, deodorants, and body wash. For more information and the latest news on Gillette, visit gillette.com.

Source: Big Brothers Big Sisters of America