HARRISBURG, Pa. — Individuals and organizations around Dauphin County are taking to new heights and stepping Over the Edge while raising money for the mentorship program Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region.
On Friday, nearly 70 people will descend down the side of the Market Square Plaza building in Harrisburg, which stands at 246 feet. The proceeds from the event will go towards supporting mentors and their mentees throughout their time with the program.
“Our staff are there to provide support throughout the entire length of the journey, whether that’s one year, five years or ten years,” said Krystin Shultz, marketing and communications manager for Big Brothers Big Sisters.
The program assists kids in the community ranging from elementary school to high school and beyond with reaching new heights by offering support, guidance and a companion to look up to.
Braylen Lownes is a little in the ‘Bigs in Blue’ program, partnering kids in the community with police officers. He’s been paired with his mentor, Cpl. Justin Doyle, since elementary school. Now a senior in high school, Lownes says the relationship has taught him valuable life lessons.
“I used to not talk about a lot of things when I was little or like mostly about my feelings and he got that out of me and he checks up on me,” Lownes explained.
But the organization doesn’t limit inclusion to only children like Lownes. Shultz explained that most participants in the mentorship program are referred by family members or school faculty, highlighting the impact of any child having an extra person in their life for support.
“They may have two parents, they may have siblings but they could just use that extra person in their life to give them a little bit of guidance,” she said.
Guidance, which can include playing games, helping with college applications or just having a conversation.
“He would come visit me at school, we would walk around and talk for a bit. When I was younger he used to come to school and play soccer with me at recess,” Lownes reflected on his growth through the program.
According to Shultz, Big Brothers Big Sisters served more than 1,000 youth across central Pennsylvania last year, and the group is expecting that number to increase this year. The organization currently operates in six counties across central Pennsylvania and will add York and Adams counties to its service area later this month.
That’s why, Shultz says, the program is looking for more volunteers to become mentors.
“It only takes a little bit of time to be a big. We just need you to be willing to give just that couple hours a month, to hang out with a kid and have fun,” Shultz said.
Donations from the fundraising event will aid that expansion, touching more kids' lives in the region. Contributors have already pushed this year’s fundraising goal over the edge, raising a total of $83,000 and surpassing the organization's original goal by $3,000.
The event kicks off Friday at 9 a.m. and goes until 5 p.m. Organizers say there are still a few spots remaining. More information on how to get involved with the program or schedule your own descent can be found on the Big Brothers Big Sisters website.
While covering this story, members of the FOX43 crew got to experience the 18-story descent, giving an inside look into what rappelers see from the top of a skyscraper.