**The activities below are sponsored by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota and are open to all matches. School- and site-based matches can attend these activities, but must meet at the activity location or bus pickup/drop-off location.** | |
Great Theatre - Little is free with paid admission of the Big. Contact the Paramount Center for the Arts Box Office to receive the discount: 320-259-5463. | |
Copper Kitchen - Free kid's meal for Littles when Big purchases a regular-priced adult meal. | |
**The activities listed below are not sponsored by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota and are open to community-based matches only.** | |
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St. Cloud Area Kwanzaa Celebration - Join the 29th annual St. Cloud Area Kwanzaa Celebration. From 5-9 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14, head to the Whitney Senior Center in St. Cloud for food, music, and more to celebrate the African American culture with members of the community. This event is free thanks to a host of community organizations, but registration is required.
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Sartell Country Lights Festival - Get outside and enjoy the lights all December at the Country Lights Festival in Sartell! Starting Dec. 6, every day from dusk to dawn come enjoy 33 acres of lights off Pinecone Road in Sartell. Parking is available at the Sartell Community Center. There are also events every Friday and Saturday from 5:30-7 p.m. including hot chocolate, a kiddie train, and a visit with Santa on Dec. 13! Check out the full schedule here.
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2025 Optimist Essay Contest - The 2025 Optimist Essay Contest is now open! The contest is open to students under the age of 19 who have not completed high school. This year's topic is: How Optimism Has Paved My Road to Success. First place receives $500, second $250 and third $150. The local winner is entered into an area essay contest where the first-place prize is a $2,500 scholarship. The local contest entry deadline is Feb. 7, 2025, and winners will be announced Feb. 18. All completed essays should be sent to Aimee Minnerath. Mail paper copies to: Boys & Girls Club of Central MN, Attn: Aimee Minnerath 345 30th Ave N. St. Cloud, MN 56303.
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MLK Community Celebration - The annual MLK Community Celebration is coming up Jan. 18-25 in St. Cloud. The week starts with the MLK Family Day Celebration in the Atwood Memorial Center on the SCSU campus. From 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 18, bring your family for fun activities. Monday, Jan. 20, is the MLK Community Breakfast, and Jan. 22 is MLK Night at the Paramount with a free performance by Noah Sonie, a magician and mentalist. Find the full schedule of events here.
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Wellness in the Woods - Support is just a click or call away for adults from all Minnesota communities thanks to Wellness in the Woods. Their mission is to provide accessible, affordable, and helpful peer-led resources and opportunities for those who are experiencing or have been affected by mental health and substance use challenges, to be heard. Call their Warmline from 5 p.m.-9 a.m. to talk to someone at 1-844-739-6369, or check out their website for a full list of services.
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Santa's Workshop Wonderland - Join St. Cloud Financial Credit Union at the Workshop Wonderland. From 9-11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14, kids can make their list to Santa, have their photo taken, enjoy fun activities and seasonal refreshments. This event will take place in the St. Cloud Community Room in the branch's basement at 3030 1st St. S in St. Cloud. Full details are available on the Facebook event site.
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Lights at Santa's Pioneer Village - Come see the lights and drive through Santa's Pioneer Village at the Stearns County Pioneer Club! The light display is up and running from 5-10 p.m. Friday-Sunday Dec. 7-31, as well as Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 24 and 25, and Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. The Pioneer Club is located at 21565 360th St. in Albany. Check out the Facebook event for more information.
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Season's Screenings - Celebrate the holidays with some of your favorite holiday movies! From Dec. 6-19, check out classic holiday films on the big screen for only $6! If you're a holiday movie buff, get a passport to watch three movies for just $12 or four movies for $16. Movies showing Dec. 6-12 include The Grinch, Elf, It's a Wonderful Life, and Candy Cane Lane. From Dec. 13-19, enjoy The Polar Express, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, and A Christmas Story. Movie lineups and screening times vary by theater; click here to see what movies are playing in St. Cloud and buy tickets.
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Foley Honor Society Breakfast with Santa - Make plans to have breakfast with Santa and support BBBS! On Saturday, Dec. 14, head to the Foley High School for breakfast and some family Christmas fun. From 8-10:30 a.m., enjoy breakfast, photos with Santa, cookie decorating, crafts, and more - all for just $7 per person! If you bring a new, unwrapped toy to donate, you receive $2 off the price of one ticket. This event is hosted by the Foley High School Minnesota Honor Society, and a portion of the proceeds benefit BBBS of Central Minnesota!
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Try It Yourself Kits at the Library - Test out new hobbies without any monetary investment by checking out a Try It Yourself Kit from the Great River Regional Library! There are 15 kits to represent different hobbies, and they include everything you need to try out a new hobby and see if it's something you'd want to get started on! Kits include sports like baseball and Frisbee golf, knitting, bird watching, Dungeons and Dragons, paper crafts, and more! This website has a list all of the kits available and a link to check the kits out.
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Swiftie Skate - The Eras Swiftie Skate is back! The St. Cloud Park and Recreation Department is hosting the Eras Swiftie Sake from 4:30-8 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 4. Head to Lake George and sing along to all the hits from the Eras Tour while enjoying hot chocolate and popcorn. There will be friendship bracelets, and dressing up in your Eras Tour best is encouraged! Free ice skates are available to use on a first-come, first-serve basis. Check out the Facebook event for more details.
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Canadian Pacific Holiday Train - The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train is coming, and it's making several stops in Central Minnesota. The train, which crosses Canada and the U.S., raising food, money, and awareness for local food banks, will be in Annandale at the Downtown Park at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 14, and Eden Valley at State Street on State Highway 22 at 9 p.m. that same day. Bring a food item to donate and see lights, hear music, and get in the holiday spirit. Learn more here.
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Tri-CAP Help for Families - If you or anyone you know is struggling to fulfil basic needs - transportation, paying bills, finding food, etc. - check out the Tri-CAP website. Tri-CAP (Tri-County Action Program) can provide assistance for basic needs, self sufficiency, building stability and more. Click here for more info.
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Skiing, Sledding, Snowshoeing Sundays - Get outside this winter with the St. Cloud Park & Rec Department! The Riverside Park shelter will be open for public use on Sunday Jan. 5, 12, and 26 with a fire going to warm up between activities. From 1-5 p.m. each day, snowshoes and sleds may be checked out for free during this time and are first-come, first-serve. Bring your own skiis, sleds, and snowshoes, and enjoy some time outside! Check out the Park & Rec site for more info.
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QueerConnect Monthly Meetups - QueerConnect Youth events are designed to help connect people in the LGBTQIA+ community. On the last Monday of every month, local middle and high school students are welcome at the Youth QueerConnect Monthly Meetup. The meetup takes place from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Great River Regional Library in St. Cloud. Follow St. Cloud Pride on Facebook or check out the website for more info.
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Free Meals for Kids - Free nutritious meals for kids 18 and under are just one click away. Download the Free Meals for Kids mobile app to help families and kids find free meals at schools and other sites around Minnesota. Click here for more information.
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The Father Project - The Father Project provides resources so dads around Central Minnesota can reach their goals. From case management and child support resources to parent support groups and family activities, this group can help dads support their families. Click here for more information.
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BBBS SCHOLARSHIPS OPEN NOW
Applications for Fall 2025 for three scholarships are open now. The Federated Challenge Scholarship, BriAnna Kruzel Memorial Scholarship, and Dahlias Alongside Grand Lake Scholarship are available to current and former Littles and High School Bigs who were a part of the agency for at least 18 months. The deadline to apply for all three scholarships is Sunday, March 23, 2025, and the winners will be notified in April 2025. Scholarship criteria, eligibility, and links to apply for all three are available here.
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EAT GOOD AND SUPPORT BBBS!
If you're looking for a fun and easy - and delicious - way to support Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota, look no further. On Thursday, Jan. 9, head to Applebee's in St. Cloud for a tasty meal - and to support local kids! From 11 a.m. until close that day, 15 percent of proceeds come back to BBBS to help find mentors for kids in Central Minnesota. Simply show the flyer above to your server when ordering in the restaurant, or use the promo code DOINGOOD when ordering online or through the mobile app. Order, eat, and support kids - it's that easy!
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VOTE FOR BBBS!
The St. Cloud Scheels Giving Campaign is going on now, and we need your help in securing a donation! Between now and Sunday, Dec. 15, Scheels is asking people to nominate their nonprofit of choice via this Google form. Simply fill out the form with your information and put Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota in the Name of Organization field (our website is www.bigdefenders.org!) to keep BBBS in the running for some of the $10,000 Scheels is giving away. Tell your friends too! Thank you for voting for BBBS!
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HOMESTEAD ARTISANS POP-UP
Homestead Artisans LLC, a unique craft and gift store, is supporting BBBS of Central Minnesota in one of its final three pop-ups of 2024! From Dec. 13-15, stop by the barn at 135 Ct Rd 120 in St. Cloud (next to the Sauk River Regional Park) to check out crafts, furniture, decorations and more from local small businesses! The shop features a variety of artisans from around Central Minnesota, and that weekend, a portion of the proceeds from the pop-up will be donated to BBBS. Thank you to owners Duane and Loyola for selecting BBBS to benefit from this sale! Learn more about Homestead Artisans here.
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BBBS AND MACY'S TEAM UP
Together with Macy's, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota is empowering every kid with a positive mentor this holiday season. From now until Dec. 24, donate when you shop online at Macy's or round up in-store through Mission Every One. This social purpose platform invests in youth and helps fuel life-changing mentoring experiences for kids right here in Central Minnesota!
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BBBS PARTNERS WITH INSPORTS
BBBS of Central Minnesota and the InSports Foundation are teaming up to help get more kids in the game. InSports offers scholarships to kids to help pay for participation, traveling, equipment, and more, so that cost isn't a barrier between youth and sports. Athletes in grades K-12 are eligible to apply, and can apply for a scholarship once a year. Click here to apply or for more info.
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BE BIG IN THE 2024-25 SCHOOL YEAR!
Have you ever thought about being a Big? Do you know someone who would be a great Big? BBBS of Central Minnesota is looking for mentors to be a part of the both the Bigs on Campus initiative and at all six of our school-based locations. Bigs on Campus mentors meet with their mentees twice a month for an hour at a time at St. Cloud State, St. Cloud Technical & Community College, or College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University and help them get accustomed to life on a college campus. School-based matched meet once a week for 30 minutes at the Little's school in St. Cloud, Sartell, Sauk Rapids-Rice, Pierz, Holdingford, or Foley. Click here for more information or to become a Big!
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Please visit our BBBS Website to view resources and information for parents/guardians & Bigs including mentoring videos and parenting resources. We also have an extensive listing of community resources including tutors, food and housing assistance, and mental health resources. In recognition of National Bullying Prevention Month, new resources were recently added to the BBBS site to support conversations regarding bullying and bullying prevention. Click here to view the bullying resources and all information on the Resources page on the BBBS website.
In addition, we also list past issues of the Big Happenings on our website. Please click here to access past issues.
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EDUCATION RESOURCES FROM GET READY
Get Ready is a program that partners with K12 schools, higher education, and community-based organizations to collectively advance access to essential information and resources that help students and families make an informed decision about life after high school. Get Ready commits to the students' progress by devoting resources to support their first year of college success. Learn more about Get Ready and resources available here, or check out their summer camps here.
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YOUR COMMUNITY NEEDS YOU
Do you wish you could do more to support your local community and neighbors? United Way of Central Minnesota has a variety of volunteer opportunities available throughout the area! This website shows volunteer opportunities ranging from working with animal shelters to local youth to working with the elderly at local care facilities. Check it out and start giving back to your community!
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BECOME A JUNIOR VOLUNTEER
Are you interested in a career in health care, or just looking to give back to your community? Become a Junior Volunteer at CentraCare! You can learn about career options, meet new people, and gain valuable skills - all while helping patients at the St. Cloud Hospital. Click here for more information or to apply! (Volunteers must be 14 or older.)
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JOIN JOB CLUB!
If you've got big goals and you're looking for the right job to achieve them, consider joining Career Solutions' Job Club. Job Club meets every Thursday from 10:30 a.m.-Noon and is open to anyone who is job searching. Job seekers must register to attend. Please click here for more information or to register.
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GET HELP WITH HIGHER WORKS COLLABORATIVE
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