Sportsball Black Tie & Tennis Shoe Gala
The 22nd annual Sportsball Black Tie & Tennis Shoe Gala invites members of the community to support Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mid-south while eating, drinking, and dancing.
Last year, the gala raised $127,000 with over 600 attendees, according to Executive Director Susan George.
This year, she hopes to increase those numbers, with a goal of raising $150,000 and more admissions than last year.
The night will begin with a silent auction. Entertainment will continue throughout the night with interactive games, sumo wrestling, food, and dancing.
According to George, the proceeds support background checks, professional staff, and processing applications, among other means of facilitating Big-little relationships.
About the organization
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midsouth encourages and empowers children by creating lasting relationships with members of the community.
The agency pairs adults interested in being a positive role model, a “Big,” with children, called a “Little,” who would benefit from a trustworthy mentor.
Support specialists guide Bigs through the relationship with their Little, ensuring that both parties are able to communicate with one another and have a healthy connection.
Big-little pairings can be either community-based or school-based, which determines how much time the pair will spend together and what they will do.
According to the organization, after one year of mentoring, children “are twice as likely as their peers to avoid drug use, perform better in school and the community.”
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midsouth served over 630 children across three states in 2018, with over 100 more placed on a waiting list.
Attending the gala
The event is Saturday, July 20, at 7 p.m. and located at Nike Inc., 5151 East Shelby Drive. Tickets are available online and at the door with all sales supporting Big Brothers Big Sisters. To purchase tickets and find out more about the event, visit https://msmentor.org/ events/annual-sportsball-black-tietennis-shoe-gala-2019.