Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Maine is inviting businesses, organizations and individuals to participate in its annual Bowl For Kids’ Sake (BFKS) event presented by Camden National Bank, Hannaford, Emera Maine, and A-Copi. Bowlers on each team raise pledge money to support youth mentoring in Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Penobscot, Somerset and Waldo counties. This year the agency will hold four separate BFKS events throughout the six counties.

The first event will be held in Penobscot County from March 28-April 2 at Family Fun Entertainment Center, Bangor, and Bangor-Brewer Lanes, Brewer.

From April 4-14, the second event will be held in the Midcoast at Oakland Park Lanes in Rockport, All-Play Family Entertainment Center in Belfast and Waldoboro, and Point Lookout Lanes in Northport.

On April 11 and 17, a special “Bowl For Cassidy’s Sake” event will be held to honor the memory of 17-year old Cassidy Charette of Oakland, a passionate BBBS volunteer who was within weeks of becoming a Big Sister when she lost her life in a tragic hay ride accident last October.

Bowling teams from Messalonskee High School, where Cassidy went to school, and other high schools in Kennebec Valley will bowl on April 11 and members of the Central Maine United (CMU) soccer teams will bowl on April 17. Hammond Lumber and New Balance are the major sponsors of this important community event.

The final BFKS event will take place in Kennebec and Somerset counties at Sparetime Recreation Center in Waterville and Augusta, and at Central Maine Family Fun Center in Skowhegan from April 28-May 9. Both weeknight and weekend dates and times are available in all regions.

Bowl for Kids’ Sake is the agency’s largest fundraising event of the year and involves hundreds of teams raising pledges to support Big Brothers Big Sisters’ 1-to-1 youth mentoring program. Last year’s event raised approximately $210,000 for the agency.

Event coordinator Cathy Hardy said the agency hopes to top that figure this year and engage more than 550 teams.

“Bowlers can go to our website (bbbsmidmaine.org) to select their bowling date and time, and create their team roster sheet. They can also set up an online pledge page so friends and supporters can make online donations to sponsor them,” she said. “We’re encouraging everyone to join us. Businesses, service and community organizations, public health and safety workers, sports teams, school clubs, teachers — we welcome them all.

“This is a fun way to support Big Brothers Big Sisters by raising pledges and bowling for an hour.”

Local businesses can also support the event by becoming event and lane sponsors, donating prizes for the event, and encouraging their employees to form a team. Bowlers then raise money by soliciting pledges from people they know. Each team is encouraged to raise a minimum of $300 in pledges; individual bowlers who raise $100 or more are automatically entered in raffle drawings to win prizes. Teams that reach the $300 goal will also receive Bowl For Kids’ Sake T-shirts.

Costumes, clever team names, and friendly competition are also encouraged. Business teams will be joined by Big/Little matches who participate in the Big Brothers Big Sisters Community-Based Mentoring program, so bowlers can meet some of the children who benefit from the program.

“This event is so important to our agency,” Alex Gaeth, CEO for BBBSMM said. “Each Big/Little match we create and support costs about $1,000 annually, and there is no cost for children to be in Big Brothers Big Sisters, so money raised from this event plays a huge role in supporting these matches.”

He also reminds prospective bowlers that they don’t have to be good bowlers to participate.

“It’s not a bowling competition — it’s a way to help our agency provide caring mentors for local children who need them,” he said.

Gaeth encourages anyone who wants to bowl to register a team at bbbsmidmaine.org, or to call Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Maine at 207-236-BBBS (2227) if they would prefer to receive a BFKS packet.