Big Brothers Big Sisters is one of the oldest and largest youth mentoring organizations in the United States.

Originated in New York in 1902, by 1912 it had established programs in 26 cities.In 1947, the organization set ground in Philadelphia. By the late 1990s, 950 children were being mentored by the program across the country.The national Big Brothers Big Sisters organization keeps statistics and claims that children who participate in the program are 46 percent less likely to use drugs, 27 percent less likely to use alcohol, and 52 percent less likely to skip school.Another significant result from having a mentor reveals that "littles" are more confident in school and get along better with their families.Big Brothers Big Sisters is a nonprofit organization. In a recent report, Forbes Magazine listed the organization on its gold list as one of the best charities for donor consideration.Fundraisers and donations are important to sustain the program.On Saturday, "Bowling for Kids' Sake" will take place at the Fritz's Lanes in Lehighton.Sponsors will make donations for teams of bowlers who make strikes or attain designated scores.Anyone interested in becoming a Big Brothers Big Sisters mentor, or who would like to make a donation to the program can email Jenna Sargent at

jsargent@csswb.org or call her at 570-421-2877.