Of course this five-year match has done a lot more than plan menus and trips to Greece.  Says Aris, “My favorite activities with Jonathan are just about everything that we do together for the first time.”  And Aris has introduced his Little Brother to many new activities like ping-pong, gardening, biking, classical music, and even the opera, which Jonathan seemed to enjoy more than he would admit.  This is an aspect of the match relationship that is very much apparent to Jonathan’s mother, Jennifer.  “Aris has introduced Jonathan to things, yes, but he also shows him how to appreciate each experience,” says Jennifer.

Aris has also helped Jonathan realize what it will take for him to succeed in the future.  “I have learned to work as hard as I can in school and get good grades,” says the eighth grader .  “Aris and I both want me to get a good education.”  So far, this Little Brother is on the right track.  “Jonathan has more self confidence, self discipline and healthier boundaries in many areas,” says Jennifer.

The lessons learned in this match relationship have not stopped with the Little Brother.  “Jonathan has helped me to be more patient,” says Aris.  “He also has a great gift of always looking at the ‘bright side.’” 

In between the exotic foods and music, shopping in the Strip District, plans to visit Greece, and games of ping-pong, this match most enjoys the basics of their friendship.  “My favorite activity is just spending time with him,” says Jonathan.  “Above all, he cares enough to spend a day with me, not just one or two hours.”

Big/Little Holiday Party…Almost!  

On Sunday, December 14, Mother Nature played the part of Scrooge and rained on our parade.  Or more aptly, snowed on our party and forced us to cancel.  This was a tough decision to make, but it was felt in the best interest of safety that we needed to cancel.  After many phone calls, e-mails and attempts to “alert the media,” we hope that the majority of those who RSVP’d did not make the trip to Schenley Park in vain.  We’re sure that the cancellation was a disappointment to you and your Little.  It was equally disappointing to the staff at BBBS, as we really enjoy the opportunity to catch up with so many matches. 

While we are not able to reschedule the Holiday Party on the same scale with such short notice, we are pulling together a BBBS Holiday Party Part 2 that will be held at our offices in East Liberty this Saturday, December 20, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  We will have a variety of holiday crafts and activities that lend themselves to a smaller space.  We will have cocoa, cookies and other treats, and hope you and your Little will stop by to share in the spirit of the season!

If we don’t see you this weekend, happy holidays to all of our outstanding Bigs and awesome Littles.  We wish you much joy, peace and happiness this holiday season and throughout the entire New Year. 

Cosmic Bowling Party on Sunday  

Junior Berry has planned a Cosmic Bowling Holiday Party for Bigs and Littles in Washington and Greene Counties, although matches from Allegheny County are also welcome.  The party will be held on Sunday, December 21, at the Waynesburg Bowling Alley in Waynesburg, Greene County.  We will be offering free cosmic bowling, pizza, and soft drinks from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.  Any and all matches are invited to attend this fun-filled afternoon.  A number of matches have generously offered to bring along some other goodies for everyone to share.  If you would like to join us on Sunday, please call Junior Berry at 1-877-353-0871, and he will reserve a pair of bowling shoes you.  And, if anyone would like to test their baking skills on us, we would be pleased to be the official tasters for your holiday treats. 

Do you have all of your holiday gifts purchased?

What about the person who has everything?

Why not buy a WIN-WIN Sweepstakes raffle ticket for the chance to win either a 2004 Volvo XC90 or $50,000 in cash?  Or, better yet, get a raffle ticket for yourself and be eligible for the $5,000 Early Bird Drawing.  Raffle tickets purchased by 12:00 noon on December 31, 2003, will be entered into the $5,000 Early Bird Drawing.  Hurry up and call before they all sell out!  After all, we only have 2,500 tickets available, making the odds of winning a prize approximately 96:1.  Call Rhonda Gethers for raffle tickets and information at 412-363-6100, ext 216.

Bowl For Kids’ Sake 2004:  Put a Smile in Every Frame!

The BBBS staff is looking for individuals to join our Bowl For Kids’ Sake Committee.  This year, our largest community fundraising event is taking on a whole new look and feel—more fun, enthusiasm and good times for everyone.  But we need your help, advice and suggestions.  All volunteers are welcome on the Bowl For Kids’ Sake Committee, which requires about four to five hours per month through March.  If you want to get involved, please call Danielle Hock, BBBS Special Events Manager, at 412-363-6100, ext. 214.  We look forward to hearing from you!

  : Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa is an African-American and Pan-African holiday that celebrates family, community and culture. Celebrated from December 26 through January 1, its origins are in the first harvest celebrations of Africa from which it takes its name. The name Kwanzaa is derived from the phrase "matunda ya kwanza" which means "first fruits" in Swahili, a Pan-African language which is the most widely spoken African language.

The first-fruits celebrations are recorded in African history as far back as ancient Egypt and Nubia and appear in ancient and modern times in other classical African civilizations such as Ashantiland and Yorubaland. These celebrations are also found in ancient and modern times among societies as large as empires of the Zulu or kingdoms (Swaziland) or smaller societies and groups like the Matabele, Thonga and Lovedu, all of southeastern Africa.

Kwanzaa was created in 1966 to introduce and reinforce the Nguzo Saba (the Seven Principles.) These seven communitarian African values are: Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith). This stress on the Nguzo Saba was at the same time an emphasis on the importance of African communitarian values in general, which stress family, community and culture and speak to the best of what it means to be African and human in the fullest sense. And Kwanzaa was conceived as a fundamental and important way to introduce and reinforce these values and cultivate appreciation for them.

It is important to note Kwanzaa is a cultural holiday, not a religious one, thus available to and practiced by Africans of all religious faiths who come together based on the rich, ancient and varied common ground of their Africanness.

To learn more about Kwanzaa, visit the official Kwanzaa website at www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org. 

• BC Angela & Steven Eagle (LB Robert) gave birth to a son—Holden Reed Eagle was born on Saturday, December 13 at 4:00 a.m.  Holden weighed 7lbs 2oz and was 21"long.
• Another new edition is being celebrated by BB Bill & Elaine LuPone (LB Mitchell), who welcomed their new daughter, Katie, on November 22.
• Congratulations to BB Tom Hardiman who was installed as a judge in the U.S. District Court on December 15.  On hand for the installation ceremonies was Tom’s LB Sadik.

Many Bigs and Littles get together to celebrate the New Year, either on New Years Eve or soon thereafter.  From our crack staff of social planners, here are some match outing and activity ideas to help you and your Little celebrate the arrival of 2004:

• Pittsburgh First Night 2004 is a community and family oriented, alcohol-free celebration of the New Year through the arts.  First Night begins at 5:00 p.m. on New Years Eve in Downtown Pittsburgh and ends with the grand finale and fireworks.  It’s a night of dance, music, song, mime, story telling, theater, poetry, and multi-media presentations.  First Night admission buttons are available at all Pittsburgh-area Giant Eagle stores or online at www.gianteagle.com.  Buttons are only $7.00 when purchased at Giant Eagle with an Advantage Card, or they can be purchased at the box office at Theater Square.  Buttons will also be available for purchase at special booths during the First Night celebration.
• Another family/kid event going on in the community is "New Years Eve at the Pittsburgh Zoo."  Radio Disney AM 540 is hosting an event from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Zoo on Wednesday, December 31.  There will be a ball drop, noisemakers and hats, games, and prizes. For more information, call 412-665-3640.
• The ice rink at PPG Place is open on New Year's Eve from 11:00 a.m. to midnight and 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on New Years Day (www.ppgplace.com/rink).
• Some creative ways to ring in the New Year for matches could be to find ways to reflect on past experiences or to commemorate where the Little is at present.  Matches could create a time capsule for the Little to look back on when he/she is older.  Bigs and Littles could collect items together, such as photos, ticket stubs to a favorite movie, a tape of the Little's favorite song, a list of some of the Little's favorite things (food, best friend's names, favorite color, etc.), and pictures cut out of magazines or newspaper clippings that commemorate the year.  Be creative!  The items can be collected into a box for safekeeping.  Or, if you’re ambitious, put the contents into a coffee can, sealed with waterproof tape and bury it in the backyard like a real time capsule.
• New Years is also be a good time for matches to create a scrapbook with photos, ticket stubs, programs, etc. from past activities they have done together.  This not only can be a good reflection of what you have already done, but it may stimulate discussion on ideas for new activities that can done together during the upcoming year.
• And, of course, there’s college football.  There are only 27 D-IA college bowl games between December 18 and the national championship game on January 4.  Good days for bowl-game marathons are December 30 (3 games), December 31 (5 games), January 1 (5 games), and January 2 (3 games).  

For more information about tickets and the match activities listed here, please contact Cheryl Jones at cjones@bbbspgh.org or call 412-363-6100, ext. 226.

	When Littles Test Their Bigs Sooner rather than later, Littles usually test their Bigs in some way or another.  If not handled properly, a Little’s testing can make it difficult for a Big to establish a positive relationship.  Here are some real examples of how Littles have tested their Bigs: A Little grumbles about the activity his Big chooses.  He even shows displeasure regarding the type of food the Big buys for him or the restaurant that’s chosen. A Little provides one-word answers to the Big’s questions, such as “yeah,” “nope,” “uh-huh,” or she just shrugs her shoulders. At the convenience store, the Little brings candy to the check-out, expecting the Big to pay. A Little asks if her best friend can come along when a movie and pizza outing have been planned.  The Little also expects the Big to pay for the friend.
Bigs with little experience in this area can get burned very easily, with further potential for traumatic consequences for the relationship.  For these Bigs, it is just easier to go along with their Littles than to “risk” (in their mind) affecting the relationship.  Also, Bigs can be manipulated passively by Littles under similar circumstances as those mentioned above.  With many Bigs just wanting to please their Littles, they do not realize that their Littles are really wanting (and needing) to hear the word “No.”