Big Brothers Big Sisters holiday party celebrates kids, mentors

NEW RUSSIA TWP. — Christmas music and holiday cheer filled the hall on Tuesday as hundreds of kids and mentors gathered for the annual Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lorain County holiday celebration. The party at The Lodge of New Russia Township celebrated the kids and the mentors in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and their progress in 2025. BBBSLC President and CEO Holly Brinda said that the organization serves about 500 kids across a variety of ages and programs, and about 400 people attended the event on Tuesday including kids, mentors and family members. "Kids are involved in various ways, but this is our big event at the end of the year to celebrate all of them," said Brinda, a former Elyria mayor. "... The hard work they do during the year, during mentoring and being tutored and all these other things that we do. It is also to celebrate the caring adults who contribute so much to their well-being." Big Brothers Big Sisters focuses primarily on one-on-one mentoring, but also puts on larger group activities and offers tutoring, social emotional learning and college readiness courses. "Kids who go through our program are more likely to succeed," Brinda said. "They do well in school, they have improved relationships (and) they avoid risky behavior. It is the most important investment we can make in Lorain County, an investment in ourselves." The party included dinner and plenty of cookies, and kids could also meet and take pictures with Santa Claus, have their faces painted, participate in crafts or have a balloon made by a balloon artist. Also lining the back wall of the lodge were folding tables covered in wrapped presents. Brinda said that the presents were purchased by volunteers and donors, and every child in attendance would leave with one. "Our kids really look forward to this every year," Brinda said. "When we do a good job of matching a child with a mentor, the relationship lasts on average five years, but sometimes longer. We actually have matches here who have seen a child grow up from the time they're 6 to the time they graduate from high school. So people here are not just mentors, they become friends of the family and part of the family, really." Contact Owen MacMillan at (440) 329-7123 or omacmillan@chroniclet.com.