Cheryl Bernard, Bo Levi Mitchell, Sean Monahan, John Hufnagel, and more join All-Stars for Kids Campaign
. BIG thank you to Hank for laying the foundation for All-Star For Kids so we can continue to raise the necessary funds to support children and youth in Calgary.
Calgary, Alberta — Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary and Area (BBBS) announced today an impressive line-up of sports stars, Olympic athletes, and community champions for its All-Stars for Kids campaign. The campaign kicks off tomorrow and runs the entire month of August.
Cheryl Bernard, Olympic medal curler and CEO of Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, is this year’s All-Star Champion. She joins returning All-Stars Bo Levi Mitchell, Quarterback for the Calgary Stampeders; Sean Monahan from the Calgary Flames; Canadian Olympic women’s wrestling champion Jasmine Mian; and Olympic gold medal curler John Morris, as well as a slew of new All-Stars, including Stamps President and General Manager John Hufnagel; Cavalry FC’s Nathan Mavila and Elijah Adekugbe; Olympic curler Kevin Koe, and three-time Olympic medalist in hockey Rebecca Johnston. These individuals along with the other champions who make up the full All-Star Roster will help raise awareness and dollars throughout the campaign.
“My parents gave me the greatest gift in life that anyone could ever give another person – they believed in me,” said Bernard. “I joined the All-Stars for Kids campaign because all kids deserve someone to believe in them and help them overcome obstacles so they can be anything and everything they dream of.”
Donations made to All-Stars for Kids are being matched throughout the month of August by a generous trio of donors. Returning mentoring champions and match donors Qualico and Gary Nissen are joined this year by long-time BBBS supporter PBA Land & Development to match all donations up to $160,000, bringing this year’s fundraising goal to $320,000.
“Thanks to the amazing support shown by our match donors and the larger community through this campaign, we have been able to empower hundreds of life-changing mentoring relationships for children and youth who need them the most,” said BBBS President and CEO Karen Orser. “This year’s fundraising target is the biggest yet and we are so excited to bring the campaign to life so that we can ensure that even more kids have the supportive relationships they need to realize their full potential.”
Many local businesses, like Banded Peak Brewing, Bagelino’s, Last Best, Madison’s 12l12, Highlander, and McKay’s Ice Cream, have also signed up to host their own special fundraising initiatives, giving the public another way to support and take part in the campaign.
BBBS is inviting the public to support #AllStarsForKids by donating, participating in community events, and sharing their own mentoring stories on social media. For more information, visit allstarsforkids.ca.