Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Backers go big for ‘Littles’
UA sports standouts lauded
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Arkansas backers boosted the group at The Big Event on Sept. 12 at the Barn at the Springs in Springdale.
Some 460 Northwest Arkansas children ages 6 through 18 — “Littles” — are currently matched with adult volunteers, “Bigs.” After going through a background check and interview process, Bigs spend a few hours a month with their Littles, doing ordinary things like playing sports, reading, hiking or just having pizza.
Each site-based match — the Big goes to the Little’s school or Boys & Girls Club — costs the group $500, and community-based matches (Big coordinates activities with Little’s parent) are $1,000. There are 30 children on the waiting list to be matched, some of whom have been waiting for more than a year.
The nonprofit mentoring organization presented Bigs of the Year to:
• Terry Sandford — Big Sister, and
• Jeff Young — Big Brother. Next up for the group is the Big Business Brunch Oct. 2 at 21c Museum Hotel in Bentonville with Kerry Robinson, Walmart senior vice president of fresh bakery, and Megan Crozier, Sam's Club chief merchant.
Those backing Bigs and Lit-tles included Jane and William Douglas, Kerry Robinson, Chad Riser, Kathy and Joe Farnan, Katie Holley, Erin and Todd Faubus, Erik Ramon and Kelsey Tomlinson, Caleb Gray, Nikki Gowdy, Katie Ernst, Leila and Travis Burkert, Kim and Mi-chael Joubert, Coya and John Reid, Brooke Allen, Brandon Vicks, Trinh Lam, Quaneshia Goodley, Julie Joyner, Tami
Shaver and co-hosts Silvia Azrai-Kawas and Sean Jackson.
The Razorback Foundation held the annual Sports Hall of Honor banquet Sept. 13 at the Fayetteville Town Center. This year the group added 15 new honorees to the hall.
The mission of the UA Sports Hall of Honor is to “to pay tribute and extend recognition to those individuals who have made significant contributions to the honor and fame of the University of Arkansas and its athletic programs and to showcase the history and tradition of the Razorbacks.”
The 2019 class of inductees are:
• Kevin Campbell, base-ball;
• James Cathcart, men's basketball;
• Dick Cunningham, foot-ball;
• David Dickey, football;
• Joe Johnson, men's bas-ketball;
• David Lingmerth, men's golf;
• Anthony Lucas, football;
• Hal McAfee, football;
• Aurelija Miseviciute-Merrill, women's tennis;
• LaShaunte'a Moore, women's track and field;
• Wallace Spearmon Jr., men's track and field'
• Martin Smith, football/ swimming
• Tommy Trantham, foot-ball; and
• Lee Yoder, men's track and field.