Starting this Sunday, I'll be riding the 200 miles of the Empire State Bike Trail from Battery Park to Albany, and I'm doing the ride to raise $10,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region NY.

Each month, BBBSCR is bringing in 58% more mentees than it can serve. As a result, this year alone, BBBSCR will add 132 unserved mentees to a waiting list that already counts 184 at-risk Littles for a total of 314.

Three out of four individuals on the waitlist are young men looking for mentorship. One in five have suffered significant trauma, such as the loss of a parent or abuse. A majority (70.1%) of waiting mentees identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, or People of Color).

On average, Littles wait 22 months for a match.

After 60 years, the agency is reworking their operations, supporting innovative intergenerational programming, in addition to their flagship 1-to-1 mentorship program. Last year, they were able to ramp up programming to serve nearly 50% more students through their High School Leadership Program, and we want to help them do that again.

Every dollar invested in mentorship accounts for $18 in economic impact. Join me in supporting this incredible community asset.