Those looking to wish someone or a business a Happy Easter can send baby chicks to warm the hearts and put a smile on the faces of others, in an exchange for a donation.

It’s all in an effort to raise money for Big Brothers and Big Sisters, which uses the money raised to support its programs. The campaign kicks off today.

“We go into the business and say ‘you’ve been sent an Easter greeting,” says Rick Austin, executive director of Big Brothers and Big Sisters in Lethbridge. “(The sender) wants to put a smile on your face, and for a donation, we will pass your greeting on to someone else. People can give any amount they feel comfortable with.”

Austin says once enough volunteer drivers are found, the promotion almost takes care of itself. Anyone with three hours to spare for the cause, or those looking to send a special Easter message, is asked to contact the office at 403-328-9355.

Although 50 baby chicks were purchased for the fundraiser, only 25 will be on the road at any given time. The chicks will be kept warm during their travels, and are kept fed and given water. The SPCA has given the promotion the thumbs-up and the chicks will be sent to a farm once it is concludes.

“This campaign is to help us market ourselves better so we can get more mentors for our children, that’s what it’s all about,” says Austin.

The Big Brothers and Big Sisters organization matches young people with responsible, caring adults who mentor and spend quality time with them. Currently, they have matched 75 young people, ranging from ages 6 to 16, with carefully selected, mature adults, and approximately 40 children remain on the waiting list.

Big Brothers and Big Sisters have three different programs available to volunteer mentors, which allows adults with different schedules to donate some of their time to spending time with kids who can use a friend.

“One is a traditional program, where they meet with the child two to three times a week after school,” says Austin. “We have the in-school mentoring program, where they meet for an hour a week at the school with the child, (and) we have an occasional meeting program.”

“If the mentor feels like they don’t have the time, we can meet with the child for once-a-month, at three to four hours. The child stays on the waiting list, but at the least the child does get contact.”

Currently, the wait time for a Big Brother or Big Sister is around 600 days, which they believe is too long of a wait.

Originally posted 2009-04-11 21:17:49. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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