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Big Brothers Big Sisters Celebrate the Holidays, Receive Big
Gift
Sojourner’s Truth Staff
Big Brothers Big Sisters
of Northwestern Ohio celebrated the holidays by treating
their little brothers and sisters and their families to a
day of bowling, gifts, food and Santa Claus at Southwyck
Bowling Lanes on Heatherdowns but it was the agency itself
that received the biggest gift of the day.
For the 10th
year, the local accounting firm, Gilmore Jasion Mahler, Ltd,
hosted the annual holiday party, providing gifts for all the
kids and the dinner. GJM brought along approximately 70
volunteers as part of their effort and an estimated 300
guests – about 160 children and their families – were
served.
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Dean
Sengstock, RSM partner; Linda Hillstrom, GJM partner; Kevin
Gilmore, GJM managing partner; Marie Bush, board president
of BBBS; Duke Smarnoff, RSM partner; Johnny Mickler,
executive director of BBBS |
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In addition, this year,
GJM had a surprise in store for the agency which has been
facing some fundraising issues this year.
GJM, Ltd is a
locally-owned and managed accounting firm, established about
22 years ago. The firm has an affiliation with the national
accounting firm RSM US LLP, the fifth largest accounting
firm in the nation. As part of RSM’s commitment to service,
they ask their affiliated firms around the country to apply
for a donation once a year for a good cause in their
communities.
This year GJM submitted a
proposal for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Ohio
and won the national first-place prize of $15,000. That
check was presented to BBBS on Sunday afternoon during the
party as two RSM partners, Dean Sengstock of Minneapolis and
Duke Smarnoff of Chicago, came to Toledo for the
presentation ceremony.
The party continued after
the ceremony. The guests bowled, received their gifts, dined
and had the opportunity to make sure Santa got the word.
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