UW Volunteers Honored for Service to Big Brothers Big Sisters

May 12, 2008 Amber Rahn could not contain her affection for her Big Sister, Katie Harris, when the pair recently met for a tour of the University of Wyoming Geological Museum.

A few minutes later, Franco Basile and his Little Brother, Ali Kiisk, arrived for the museum tour, all smiles. They obviously enjoyed each other's company.

The bonding between the children and their "Bigs" is the way the Big Brothers Big Sisters program is supposed to be, says Laura Megginson, match support specialist for Big Brothers Big Sisters in Laramie.

Usually "Bigs" and "Littles" spend time having fun together playing sports, drawing or coloring, cooking, attending various events, or doing any other activity that interests the match.

Harris, a UW senior in molecular biology, and Basile, UW's Department of Chemistry assistant professor, have been selected as the Wyoming "Bigs of the Year" in recognition for their outstanding service to the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. They previously were selected as the top "Bigs" in Albany County and are now being considered for the national award.

"They are both fantastic people; we are fortunate to have such devoted individuals in our program," Megginson says.

To be eligible for the award, the "Bigs" must have been matched for a year.

Harris and Rahn have been together since November 2006 and Kiisk and Basile since January of that year. While the time commitment is challenging, both of the adults say the experiences they shared with the children have been immensely rewarding.

"Big Brothers Big Sisters hopes to foster lasting friendships between children of the community and caring adults because we believe that all children can benefit from another friend," Megginson says. "We are always looking for anyone who is excited about a fun and rewarding experience."

To learn more about volunteering, contact Dan Mast, outreach coordinator, at (307) 742-2227, e-mail dan@gwbbbs.org.

Posted on Monday, May 12, 2008

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