Staff writer
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Marion County will not have a haunted house this Halloween, executive director Jackie Rice said.
Big Brothers Big Sisters had plans to set up a haunted house after last year’s success, Rice said. The plans fell apart because there were not enough volunteers to help with the fund-raiser.
About 35 people helped with the haunted house in 2007. That included volunteers who set up and took down the attraction. The haunted house was open for two days.
Funds from the haunted house went toward matching at-risk children with mentors, Rice said. Most of the expenses relate to ensuring the safety of participants in the program.
Big Brothers Big Sisters has another fund-raiser approaching. Bowl for Kids’ Sake will raise money for the program in early 2009, Rice said.
In Bowl for Kids’ Sake, teams gather pledges for the organization. It is the single biggest fund-raiser for the program, Rice said. In the last Bowl for Kids’ Sake, there were 20 teams in Marion and nearly as many in Hillsboro and Peabody.
Big Brothers Big Sisters started in Marion County in 2000 and has grown steadily since then, Rice said. The program matched about 180 children with mentors in Marion County last year. Big Brothers Big Sisters serves children ages 5 to 18.
People wishing to volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters can call (620) 382-3800, or e-mail jrice@ksbbbs.org. Mentors must be at least 16 years old.