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CONTACT:
Kimberly Breeden
PH: 919.286.7155
email: kbreeden@bbbsdo.org

A Place To Call Their Own:
Brothers and Sisters Adopt a Park in Need

Durham, NC, October 20, 2003–The next time Jennifer Prish plans a picnic with her ‘little sister,’ they’ll know exactly where to go. They’ll have their own park. Prish is a ‘Big Sister’ volunteer with the local agency, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Durham and Orange Counties. The group has just completed the paperwork for adopting a Durham City Park and will celebrate with a kick-off event Saturday, October 25th, commemorating National Make A Difference Day.

“My little sister, Charlie, has never been on a picnic," said Jennifer. "What a thrill to have our own park for our very first picnic!”

Other BBBS volunteers expressed similar enthusiastic endorsements: “Seems like an excellent way to introduce community involvement to our little brothers and sisters,” and “we could certainly use the time outdoors.”

As it turns out, their ‘adoption process’ coincided with the much-publicized state of disrepair the Durham City parks are said to be in. The director of the city's General Services Department, Mark Greenspan, says, "We know the parks are broken, and I am passionately fighting to fix it." City officials concede that park maintenance has been neglected and deferred.

But Big Sister Ann Skye is determined not to defer her group’s effort and to do what can be done. “Our timing couldn’t have been better. While the proposed master plan for repairs to the parks is probably needed, there’s plenty to do in the interim, like a general clean-up of debris, and weeding. It's also a perfect way for us to spend time with our ‘little brothers and sisters’ —translating the importance of community ownership and pride in a visible, meaningful way.” <.P The “Adopt-A-Park” program offers community groups and organizations a hands-on opportunity to improve and enhance the park and trail areas throughout the City of Durham. After hearing about the program, ‘Big Sisters’ Jennifer Prish, Ann Skye and Alicia Lincoln reviewed a list of 60-plus available parks and trails based on size, location, and need “of some loving care.” They chose to adopt Lyon Park and Center. The initial focus will be a general clean-up of debris, followed by a series of scheduled maintenance visits by the BBBS volunteers with their ‘little brothers or sisters.’

“This is a great program to engage our volunteers and to reach out to the community where the need exists,” said Kimberly Breeden, executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters. "Most of our ‘kids’ come from the areas serviced by city parks. Now they’ll have their own park—-a hands on opportunity to make a difference.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Durham and Orange Counties plans to initiate its ‘adoption’ of Lyon Park on Saturday, October 25th, which marks the 13th annual Make a Difference Day. The day represents the largest community service effort in the nation by engaging volunteers in projects to improve their communities and help their neighbors in need.

The community and Lyon Park neighborhood are invited and encouraged to join Big Brothers Big Sisters from 10am to noon, Saturday, October 25th at Lyon Park for the 1st Clean Sweep. It will be a general clean up of Lyon Park located at 1200 Lakewood Avenue, Durham.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Durham and Orange Counties is a non-profit, affiliate agency of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. The local agency, founded in 1998, serves children ages 6 through 14 in Durham and Orange Counties. Through the agency’s signature ‘one-to-one’ mentoring program, volunteers are matched with children to provide support, guidance and friendship as they grow to become more confident and caring individuals. To learn more, volunteer or contribute, visit www.bbbsdo.org.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is the oldest and largest youth mentoring organization in the country, serving 220,000 youth in one-to-one mentoring relationships in 5000 communities nationwide. It was founded in 1904 in New York City, with national headquarters in Philadelphia, PA. The organization will be celebrating its 100th anniversary next year in New York City. For more information, www.bigbrothersbigsisters.org.

Make A Difference Day, the largest national day of helping others, is sponsored by USA WEEKEND Magazine and its nearly 600 carrier newspapers. Make A Difference Day is held in partnership with the Points of Light Foundation. The 13th Make A Difference Day is Saturday, Oct. 25, 2003. Make A Difference Day supporter Paul Newman donates 100 percent of after-tax income from Newman's Own to educational and charitable causes..

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