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HELP YOUR LITTLE ACHIEVE SUCCESS IN SCHOOL With school starting back up this fall, many Bigs are wondering how they can be more supportive of their Little’s academic performance (without becoming a tutor). Know that the mentor’s main role in supporting academic success is to build a supportive, friendly relationship with the Little. A mentor should focus on the needs and feelings of the child in contrast to what someone thinks needs to be “fixed”. Get them involved in decision-making about the activities you do while you are together. Make sure the activity you work on is youth-driven and positive. Relationship building should come first. Get to know your Little without “prying”, by simply engaging them in conversation and getting them involved in an activity. Be consistent. Consistency will show your Little that you care about them. Remember, you are friends! In time they will grow to trust you and care about you too. They need to know they can count on you for your support. Tell them about the potential you see in them. Make Learning Fun. Do this by helping your Little connect what they are
learning in school to the real world. Example: while playing a game or reading a book, if a spelling word comes up bring that to their attention. If they are learning about multiplication, see if you can provide an example. Lead by example. If you are positive they will be positive. Going back to school is sometimes hard for a Little. Summer was fun and getting back into the swing of school and rules may be a difficult adjustment. If we show enthusiasm it may just set the spark your little needs to succeed. Support the school. BBBS works very closely with our participating schools. Working with teachers, counselors and principals to help a child succeed is what Big Brothers Big Sisters is all about. Find out from their teacher what the class is learning about, then find ways to support that when you meet with your Little. Be you—be a friend. Most important...just be you. Be a good friend to your Little and establish a strong bond and mutual enjoyment of your time together. Have fun!
DAY OF CARING
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
The 2013 United Way Day of Caring shared a “match experience” with nearly fifty children at Denkmann School in Rock Island, Lincoln-Irving in Moline and at J.B. Young in Davenport. Volunteers were introduced to a child then each given lunch and time to get to know one another by playing games, participating in an activity or just telling each other all about themselves. The experience showed what it’s like being a “school-based” Big. It only takes 30-40 minutes a week at a child’s school to make a BIG impact on a child. Call 563-323-8006 to volunteer!
Performance Outcome Evaluations RAVE about your Little: Attaining a goal Healthy Kids article Money Wise Kids article Community Calendar Youth Opportunity Whiteside County Updates Bowl For Kid’s Sake—Macomb, IL Career Navigators—September Tours
25th Anniversary Picnic Rescheduled Dear Match Coach United Way Day of Caring Match Anniversaries and Party HAVlife update Blazin’ Bags Tournament—Oct. 13 Back to School: Support your Little The Next Big Thing
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SEPTEMBER— MATCH ANNIVERSARIES! YEARS 6
LITTLE’S NAME Issabelle
BIG’S NAME Jane Eagle
YEARS
LITTLE’S NAME
BIG’S NAME
2
Terry
Samantha Ahlers
5
Davon
Charles Heston
2
Terrionna
Sue Cruchelow
4
Darrell
Kim Wilkins
2
Reagan
Robert Ankney
4
Emilee
Denise Benson
2
Aaron
Cody Speer
4
Kyle
Scott Pearson
2
Hannah
Cassie Herman
3
Donovan
Nathan Kessler
1
Quentin
Thomas Spielman
3
Cortez
Adam Holland
1
McKinley
Tim Bratvold
2
Nahriah
Amanda Makula
1
Skylar
John Leonard
2
Julian
Anne Howard
1
Kardez
Todd Wade
2
Raquel
Kristen Wendell
1
Bianca
Gloria Grant
2
Nachi
Ashley LaGrow
1
Trinity
Laura Pearson
2
Jace
Melaine Mohar-Whitchelo
1
Mark
Kevin Wellman
2
Danielle
Chris Berge
If you are celebrating an anniversary with your Little, please join us on Wednesday, September 11th, 5 to 6 p.m. at the BBBS offices 130 W. 5th St., Davenport and celebrate your Match Anniversary!
In Macomb, IL Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
8 shifts
Digger’s College City Bowl, 123 E. Adams St. Macomb, IL Register your five-person team on line:
http://macombbowl.kintera.org Every bowler that raises $40 receives a FREE t-shirt! Register by Friday, Sept. 20th
$5.00 Coupon Booklet can save you up to $500! All $5 will go back to support BBBS-MV! Community Days Nov. 15-16
GO TO: http://bit.ly/17lY2w7 10% off + 10% to BBBS if you mention BBBS when you purchase!
2571 53rd Street, Bettendorf, IA If you stop in, VOTE for BBBS and we could win $2,000!
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DEAR MATCH COACH: HOW CAN I HELP RECRUIT BIGS? Dear Match Coach, Because my friends and co-workers can see how great of an experience I’ve had being a Big in the program, they are interested in becoming Bigs too. How would I get them connected with BBBS so they can get enrolled? That is wonderful that you share your joy of being a Big with your friends and co-workers. We are always looking for positive adult role models to mentor our community’s youth and there are many different ways that a potential volunteer can get started with the enrollment process. You could give them our Davenport office number, (563) 323-8006, give them the contact information for your specific match coach, or they could inquire online at our website, www.bbbs-mv.org where they would input their contact information and we would follow up with a phone call. If there are multiple co-workers and the workplace would be willing to let one of our representatives come in to do a brief presentation then calling the office and asking for an enrollment staff member would be the best method of
contact. The enrollment process consists of hearing about our different programs such as schoolbased mentoring, community based mentoring, and career navigators and deciding which would be the best fit for their lifestyle. Prospective Bigs would need to complete an application, in-person interview and pass background checks and reference checks, and participate in our pre-match training before they would be ready to be matched with a child. This process takes about six weeks (depending on the number of Bigs that are enrolling). One of the best ways to recruit a Big is to be a Big and talk about your experiences. We appreciate it when you spread the word!
Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (EICC) presents Amy Dubois Barnett, Editor-inChief for Ebony Magazine, as the featured guest for this year's Next Big Thing. The highlight of the evening will be a keynote from Barnett, beginning at 7 p.m. Barnett's vision has shaped the pages of Harper's Bazaar, Essence, Teen People, Honey magazine, and Ebony - the oldest and largest African-American oriented magazine in the country.
EICC's Next Big Thing provides high school students the opportunity to learn what is needed to succeed in life after graduation, the next big thing in their lives. This year's event will be held October 1. During the day, students from Davenport's schools will be participate in a variety of breakout sessions and hear a keynote address from Barnett.
Barnett has appeared weekly as an on-air correspondent for CNN's American Morning and has been featured on many national television shows including The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Early Show, Nightline, and on various programs on VH1, MTV, and BET. For her pioneering work as a journalist, style expert, and writer, Barnett received the Trailblazer Award from the New York Association of Black Journalists, an Aldo Award for fashion journalism from the Fashion Association, and a Hurston/Wright Award for creative writing. With your help in spreading the word, we can all help to prepare students for the next big thing in their lives. For more information about Next Big Thing, feel free to contact LaDrina Wilson, EICC Assistant Director of Customer Service and Enrollment, at lwilson@eicc.edu or 563-336-3311.
The daytime event is closed to the public, but an evening event at the River Center is open and free to everyone who wishes to attend. We're asking your help in spreading the word about this wonderful opportunity. MATCHES AND FAMILIES! The evening includes a resource fair from 6 - 7 p.m. and breakout Please join us for a pizza dinner prior to the event (starting at 5:30 p.m.) sessions at both 6 and 6:35 p.m. Similarly to the day event, the sessions at the RiverCenter. If you are planning to attend the workshops or keyprovide information students need to be successful after high school. note speaker and want to attend the pizza dinner before, please RSVP Parents are welcome to attend with their students. The evening event by Friday, September 27th to your Match Coach. 563-323-8006. will take place at the RiverCenter.
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Sign up for fun! 25th Anniversary
Reunite Picnic!
Sunday, September 29th, 3:30—7:30 p.m. Come and join us for a great day of food, fun and friendship at the 25th Anniversary Big Brothers Big Sisters Picnic. Bring your whole family! Bring your Little, or meet your Little and their family there! School-Based Matches: contact your Match Coach to coordinate with your Little attending. EVERYONE—bring your whole family! Activities include: Pyramid Toss, Guess How Many, Spray Away Game, Lucky Lollipops, Hula Toss, Duck Pond Grab, Balloon Darts, Frisbee Golf, Sumo Wrestling, Bounce Houses, Ring Toss, Water Balloon Launch and much more! FREE movie at 6 p.m. shown on the Jumbotron! REGISTER BY: September 20, 2013 Call 563-323-8006, or call your Match Coach.
Register online at: www.bbbs-mv.org
Blazin Bags Tournament Join in the fun for a great cause! Sunday, October 13, 2013—Noon Start 11th Street, Village of East Davenport $40 per two-person team (registrations postmarked by 10/8) $50 for late registration and walk-ups day of the event. Call Kayla at 563-323-8006 to register (kkiesey@bbbs-mv.org)
PRESENTED BY: Davenport Association of Professional Fire Fighters Local 17
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RAVE ABOUT YOUR LITTLE—ACHIEVING A GOAL! I like doing things with my BBBS Little, Tyree, because it allows me to be a kid again. One of my passions since childhood has been waterskiing. When Tyree and I matched about 2 years ago, we talked about my passion for waterskiing. Tyree decided he wanted to try waterskiing. At age 10 Tyree finally mastered the feat this summer. He skied for about a 10-minute streak, zooming up the Mississippi River along River Drive in Davenport and Bettendorf. Many people were watching from the shoreline and I think they were impressed such a young kid was waterskiing so well. Many kids learn to wakeboard now so it was a rare sight to see a kid on skis! As Tyree and I continue our adventures, I expect he’ll keep improving his waterskiing skills. Perhaps soon I’ll be raving about him skiing on one ski – slalom style. - Ralph Henninger
Community-Based Matches with Littles in 6th through 12th grades! The Davenport Youth Advisory Commission is looking for dynamic youth to advise the City Council on issues affecting youth and give youth a voice! The Commission empowers young people to have a positive impact on their community while gaining valuable leadership experience. To become involved you must live in Davenport, be between the ages of 14 and 21 and submit an application and essay. The Davenport Youth Advisory Commission (DYAC) meets every other Tuesday evening at 6:30 beginning 9/10/13. Your essay should say how you would change Davenport as a member of DYAC. Applications can be found at: www.cityofdavenportiowa.com If you have any questions feel free to contact Tanisha Briley at 563-888-3384 at City of Davenport.
JOIN US FOR CAREER NAVIGATORS SITE VISITS. Career Navigators activities are designed to help Bigs “navigate” Littles through the exploration of career interests and encourage academic and social success. These are simple, one hour experiences of business and educational opportunities in the QCA.
Scott Community College, Culinary Program Wednesday, September 18, 4:30-5:30 More details to come regarding parking and meeting location
IH Mississippi Valley Credit Union—Financial Careers Tuesday, September 24, 4:15-5:15 2839 AAA Court, Bettendorf
CONTACT YOUR MATCH COACH TO REGISTER!
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WHITESIDE COUNTY—BBBS UPDATE Congratulations to our newest matches! Congratulations to Autum and Claudia for transitioning from a School Based Match to a Community Based Match! TaRa and Susan
Lindsey and Ashley
WHITESIDE COUNTY CALENDAR August 30-November 1 September 5-7 Sept 7 Sept 7 Sept 6-8 Sept 11 Sept 14 9am10am12pmSept 21 Sept 21 Sept 21 Sept 23 Sept 27 Sept 29
Juried Art Show open viewing at Woodlawn Rock Falls Public Library Book Sale 8am- Canal Crawl (Contact dawn.handel@usbank.com for more info) Taste of Fiesta at Sterling’s Grandon Sterling/ Rock Falls Fall Garage Sale Days SVCC Texting while driving simulator Bridge the Communities Run/Walk 1st Ave Bridge Model Trains in Operation Fiesta Parade 8am- Harvest Hammer in Morrison (more info at www.harvesthammer.com) Paint the Town (more info at www.paintthetownmorrison.com) Happy Tails 25th Anniversary Open House 6:30pm- Dollar-a-Day Boys Tribute to Civilian Conservation Corps @ Rock Falls Library Fourth Fridays in Sterling BBBS 25th Anniversary Summer Picnic at Modern Woodmen Park in Davenport.
start something!
Bailey and Lindsay
WHITESIDE COUNTY PICNIC! Thank you to all who came to the summer picnic. We had a great turnout with fun activities, great food and wonderful conversation. Your enjoyment makes every bit of effort worth it. I look forward to doing more activities and seeing more happy faces!
COACHES CORNER SPREAD THE WORD! MATCHES REUNITE! YEA HAVlife!
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Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley is celebrating its 25th Anniversary this year (2013). Since we started matching adult volunteer mentors with children, we have served more than 10,000 children in the 14-county Mississippi Valley area. Many of the children who were involved in the program back in 1988 are now adults. Some are over 40 years old! Although BBBS-MV has records of most of our “Bigs” over the past 15 years, in many cases we have lost track of our “Littles” and so have their former “Bigs”. Adult (former) Littles in many cases have moved several times since the were involved in BBBS and many of the girls are now married with different names. This year, our national BBBS has launched a reunite campaign and are encouraging former “Littles” to contact the agency they were matched through back when they were children. If a former “Little” contacts us or registers through the national website (www.bbbsa.org), we do the best job we can in tracking down the former “Little’s” past “Big” to see if they want to reunite. The September 29th picnic is a great place to reunite! You can help us get the word out by posting this notification on your Facebook wall or newsfeed:
REUNITE!
ATTENTION! FORMER BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS LITTLES! If you were a former “Little” in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and would like to “reunite” with your former “Big” go to www.bbbs.org and click on REUNITE NOW! You can register online and the national organization will contact the local BBBS office you were matched through and they will try to find out how to get in touch with your former Big Brother or Big Sister and contact you. Go to: www.bbbsa.org
ASK YOUR MATCH COACH ABOUT HAVlife! There are many exciting opportunities for children to get involved with in the Quad Cities. Sports, music, or the arts. Unfortunately, those activities sometimes just cost too much, and the child ends up disappointed and with lost potential. BBBS has partnered with the HAVlife Foundation to ensure that any Little who wants to be involved in an extra-curricular activity has the ability to do so. The HAVlife Foundation exists to help bridge the financial gap and eliminate “lost potential” in students by providing funds for various activities in athletics, music and arts. Need ideas? BBBS maintains a list of available activities that might interest your Little. Contact your Match Coach to learn more.
A new school year brings with it many exciting opportunities for our Littles! They’ll have the chance to learn a new instrument or try a new sport, take an art class or join a theatre club. BBBS and the HAVlife Foundation want to make sure that none of our Littles miss out on those opportunities. If your Little is interested in trying something new, we want to make it happen! The HAVlife funds provided to BBBS are available to any Little needing financial assistance for an extra-curricular program, and with opportunities abounding this time of year, there is sure to be something for your Little to try. BBBS is excited for Whiteside County Little, TaRa, who is participating in cheerleading this fall, thanks to the HAVlife grant! Contact your match coach for suggestions or to get the short application started.
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HEALTHY KIDS: STROKE AWARENESS By Unity Point Health—Trinity Staff Did you know that the number one leading cause of adult disability in the United States is a stroke? Although you may not think of a stroke as a serious threat to you now, it is never too early to learn about stroke awareness. You may help someone in need, like a grandparent, by knowing how to identify if they are having a stroke. What are the chances of having a stroke? Dr. Rhonda Sowards with the Trinity Emergency Department says that your chances for having a stroke increase with high blood pressure, family history of strokes, high cholesterol, diabetes and smoking. Share the news! Unity Point Health – Trinity offers a free, online screening that assesses the risk for stroke at trinitystrokeaware.com. Anyone taking the online screening can learn their level of risk and the different precautions to take in order to reduce their risk. Be aware of warning signs It is very important to be aware of warning signs because it could save someone’s life. Remember to call 911 immediately if you or someone around you experiences a sudden onset of any of the following symptoms: Weakness or paralysis on the side of the face, or any part of the body Numbness or tingling Vision changes, such as eye movements or drooping eyelids Slurred speech or difficulty reading, listening or writing Swallowing difficulties or drooling. “F.A.S.T.” If you think someone is having a stroke, use the F.A.S.T. method: FACE: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop? ARMS: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward? SPEECH: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is their speech slurred or strange? TIME: If you observe any of these signs, call 911 immediately. Anyone can have a stroke - your age, race and gender do not matter. Knowing the various risk factors is essential in averting a stroke. According to the National Stroke Association, up to 80 percent of strokes can be prevented. So be aware and act F.A.S.T. “Time lost is brain lost,” says Dr. Sowards.
Thanks to Unity Point Health—Trinity for their support of our Healthy Kids Program!
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MONEY WISE KIDS: JOBS VS. CAREERS By IHMVCU staff What would you like some day, a job or a career? Aren’t they the same thing?
training, you need to know what you’re getting yourself into. Will there be a lot of traveling involved? How much education is needed? How much will I earn? Are there jobs available? Check out these planning steps to help you find the best path to a career:
No! A job is just something you do. It’s all about completing tasks and Self-assess. Take a good, hard look at your personal interests and getting paid. In a career, you still have the tasks to do, but it means so strengths. Examine your skills, values, and personality preferences, askmuch more. It’s about doing something you love and knowing that you’re ing: Where are my skills used in the economy? What additional education making a difference, for yourself and for others. or work experience would I need to get the job I really want? The federal government's online Occupational Outlook Handbook at http:// www.bls.gov/ooh/, can be an excellent resource. When deciding what you want to do, answer these questions: Consider all options. If a four-year college education and graduate What am I good at doing? school isn't for you, think about other roads to fulfilling and financially What do I love to do? rewarding careers, including military service, technical school, What kind of time do I want to spend working and with my family or apprenticeships, and entry-level internships. friends? Delay a decision. A "gap How much money year" after high school can do I need to live allow you to clarify your the kind of life I interests and establish focus before going on to want to live? school. It also can help you build a resume before I know what I want to starting on your do. education. That’s great! Do you know what you need to do to get there? No matter what job or career you choose, you’ll need some kind of training or education to perform the tasks and projects. Whether you go to college and get a degree, do an apprenticeship, or any other kind of
Another website great for determining a career is http:// www.careerpath.com/, or talk to your Big and find out what you need to do to have a career you’ll love, or sign up to participate in the Career Navigators Program (6th grade and up). Then, make it a S.M.A.R.T goal!
Thanks to IH Mississippi Valley Credit Union for their support of our Money-Wise Kids program!
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BBBS MENTORING—GREAT RETURN ON INVESTMENT! The numbers are in and nothing quite offers as good of a “return on investment” for a non-profit donation as investing in the children enrolled in a Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring program. Approximately 300 child assessments were completed by area teachers using the Big Brothers Big Sisters Performance Outcome Evaluation (POE). Administered by the Mississippi Bend Area Education Association (AEA), the POE is administered at the conclusion of each academic year and is intended to measure improvement areas of children mentored in the organization's School-based mentoring program. In order to be statistically valid, a qualifying match needs to have been meeting consistently for at least four months during the academic year.
The POE measures three primary areas - confidence, competence and caring indicators and was developed through a partnership of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, United Way Worldwide, and the Search Institute. The teachers were asked to rate each student involved in the BBBS program with regards to academic performance as well as attendance, participation, self-confidence, expressing feelings, decision-making, risk, self-motivation, peer relationships and trust among others. “When students show improvement in these important areas, and overall improvement in academic performance, you know the program is working”, said Sarah Gott of Hayes Elementary School, "the data shows that the support of a caring adult is the cornerstone to learning and positive mental health." Big Brothers Big Sisters measures outcomes on a regular basis with teachers, parents, adult mentors and children enrolled in all of its mentoring programs. “We believe it’s vital to measure our results and have a thorough understanding of the impact our programs are having on these children,” says Jay Justin, CEO / President of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley. “I believe our donors expect us to be a research and performance-based organization that continues to use information to improve our program and impact." When teachers were asked a question about the importance of mentoring as part of the school’s culture, 95.4% said they either agreed or strongly agreed that it was important to their school. Other outcomes of this POE survey are as follows: Measured Area: % who improved Self-confidence: 60.9% Ability to express feelings: 53.5% Decision-making skills: 47.3% Self-esteem: 60.6% Self-Motivation: 51.6% Behavior (manners / conduct) 41.5% Attitude toward school: 50.9% Class participation: 51.9% Trust toward the teacher: 54.0% Overall improvement in grades: 65.0%
The overall performance outcome showed that 65% of Thanks to all of our Bigs for helping children achieve children improved in grades since the beginning of the success! For more information about how you can support school year (2012/2013). In fact, 76% of the children enBig Brothers Big Sisters by sponsoring a Big / Little “Match” rolled in the BBBS program showed academic improvement call 563-323-8006 or email Beth Clark at in one or more of their classes. bclark@bbbsmv.org.
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COMMUNITY CALENDAR — SEPTEMBER 2013 1
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7 Tractor Parade
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14 Punt, Pass & Kick Play Day / Health Fair
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21 Bowl For Kids’ Sake Macomb, IL
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QC Balloon Festival
All Breed Horse Show
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28 QC Balloon Festival
Friday Night Jam
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BBBS 25th Anniversary Reunite Picnic!
GET OUT AND ABOUT IN THE QUAD CITIES! September 7—Visit the free tractor parade and show at the John
September 22—All Breed Horse Show and exhibit will be at the
Deere Pavilion in Moline on Saturday, September 7th. Call
Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds on Sunday, September 22nd. Call
309-765-1000 to learn more about the tractors being featured.
563-326-5338 for more information.
September 14—The City of Davenport is offering an NFL Punt,
September 27 / 28—The QC Balloon Festival returns this year to
Pass and Kick Competition on Saturday, September 14th. This is a
Kennedy Square in East Moline on Friday, September 27th and
free event that allows youth to compete for distance and accuracy
Saturday, September 28th. Visit www.quadcitiesballoonfestival.com
with a chance to move on to a sectional competition and then on to
for a schedule of events.
compete at the home of an NFL team. Call 563-328-7275 for the location, which is TBD. September 14—Play Day/ Health Fair through the City of Davenport will offer games, crafts and sports on Saturday,
September 27—Friday Night Jam at the Roosevelt Community Center in Davenport on Friday, September 27th, provides a meal, board games, karaoke and Wii games for $4 a person. September 29—25TH ANNIVERSARY REUNITE BBBS PICNIC! The
September 14th. The event is free with a donation of a canned good
Reunite Picnic is open to all current and past Bigs and Littles and
for a local food bank. Again, this event’s location is TBD, so call
their families! Just $10.00 for a match + $2 for each additional family
563-328-7275 for more information.
member. Held at Modern Woodmen Park from 3:30—7:30.
September 21—Bowl for Kids’ Sake, Macomb, IL . 10 a.m.— 5 p.m. (eight shifts). Digger’s College City Bowl in Macomb. GO TO: http://macombbowl.kintera.org to register your team!
20+ activities, food, and a FREE movie shown on the jumbo-tron! Call your Match Coach today and reserve your place!