BIG BROTHER BIG SISTERS YOUTH

Experience Notre Dame Football

The Toro Company and the University of Notre Dame gave Big Brothers Big Sisters youth in St. Joseph County a chance to meet coaches, players and tour Notre Dame Stadium.

BLOOMINGTON, Minn.–

Through donations provided by the Toro Company, children in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program of St. Joseph County spent Friday and Saturday, Nov. 14 and 15, 2003 getting an inside look at Notre Dame football. Toro is the exclusive provider of grounds maintenance and equipment for the University of Notre Dame athletic facilities.

As the first part of their event-filled weekend, several Big Brothers Big Sisters youth and their mentors attended the weekly Notre Dame football coach’s lunch and met Notre Dame coaches and players. After the lunch, the kids were escorted to Notre Dame Stadium for a tour and to see first-hand the Toro equipment used to groom the field. The children interacted with the experts who make the field such an excellent place to play and learned about some of the rewarding careers that give people a chance to work with major athletic programs.

On Saturday, the children and their sponsors received free tickets, provided by Toro, to watch the Irish take on Brigham Young University. Through a grant from the Toro Foundation, the children also purchased snacks and souvenirs.

“Notre Dame football is the heart of the South Bend community and it’s everyone’s dream to step onto the field of Notre Dame Stadium,” said Rick Lohman, director of national accounts for Toro. “It feels good to know we helped make that dream come true for some who may not have otherwise had the chance.”

“This is really a dream event for these children,” said Deborah Burrow, executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Joseph County. “The gift provided by Toro will have a long-lasting impact on these children.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters is a federation of more than 500 affiliated agencies throughout the United States. For over 90 years, Big Brother and Big Sister volunteers have helped boys and girls from single-parent families make the often difficult transition into adulthood. Big Brothers Big Sisters of St. Joseph County, founded in 1969, matches volunteer mentors one-on-one with the kids.

Big Brothers Big Sisters report statistics that their children, called Little Brothers and Little Sisters, are 46 percent less likely to start using drugs; 27 percent less likely to start drinking; 52 percent less likely to skip a day of school; 37 percent less likely to skip a class; and 33 percent less likely to hit someone and generally more trusting of their parents or guardians.

Ernest Coulter, a New York court clerk, founded New York Big Brothers in 1904, and is considered the official founder of what would become Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. As with so many other good ideas, there were others almost simultaneously doing similar work. In 1903, Irvin Westheimer, a young Cincinnati businessman, became the mentor to a young boy he saw scavenging trash cans for food. Westheimer founded the Big Brother Association of Cincinnati in 1910.

The Ladies of Charity in New York was one of the first mentoring groups for girls. In 1905, shortly after New York Big Brothers was formed, the charity changed its name to Catholic Big Sisters. Mrs. John O?EUR??,,????'???Keefe of Manhattan, New York, is considered the founder and first Big Sister.

The Toro Company is a $1.5 billion company with more than 5,000 employees worldwide. It is a leading provider of outdoor maintenance and beautification products for home, recreation and commercial landscapes. Toro Giving is an active outreach program with a focus on giving support to organizations that preserve the outdoor environment. Contributions are also geared to programs that enhance education, health and welfare, culture, the arts, and civic projects. The Toro Foundation, an independent, nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, facilitates much of Toro’s giving through matching gifts, volunteer grants and elective grants. Toro also provides scholarships, employee volunteer opportunities, and product and in-kind donations.