**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.**

We rolled out a new and improved Match Partners website! This site highlights the awesome discounts that our local business partners are offering to our matches, as well as other ways to get involved. Check out all of the great activity ideas for your Match here! Here are two of our awesome Match Partners!

YMCA - St. Cloud - Bigs and Littles come to the Y for free - neither has to be a member. Check in at the front desk and show staff Match ID card to get in free.

Rainbow of St. Cloud - Bigs and Littles can come and play for free for two hours on the swing sets in the showroom.

**The activities listed below are not sponsored by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota and are open to community-based matches only.**

Home Stretch Homebuyer Education - Catholic Charities of St. Cloud is hosting a two-session Home Stretch homebuyer education class. If you're thinking about buying a home, attend this class to gain insights from experts in mortgage lending, real estate, title services, and home inspection. The class runs from 5-9 p.m. on April 3 and 10 at 152 Roosevelt Road, Suite 200, in St. Cloud. This class is free and open to anyone - just email FinancialCounseling@CCStCloud.org to register.

Foley Community Connect Expo - Learn more about resources available in the Foley area at the 2025 Foley Community Connect Expo. From 9 a.m.-noon on Saturday, March 22, head to the Foley High School gym to browse more than 50 booths of free resources including housing, mental health resources, services for senior citizens, and more. This free event includes a free breakfast for anyone who attends, free meal bags for families, free hygiene products, free children's dental cleanings (limited spots available), and more. Staff from BBBS will have a booth to share more about the work the agency does in Foley and sign people up to be mentors. Check out the Facebook event for more details.

Easter Egg Hunt and Touch A Truck - Join the Sherburne History Center for a fun morning of activities! On Saturday, April 19, from 10 a.m.-noon, you can visit with the Easter bunny, touch a truck, and hunt eggs through two miles of county park trails. The egg hunt starts promptly at 10 a.m. Concessions are available, and more activities will be available inside! Check out the Facebook event for more details.

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.

Lego Make & Take Event - Head to the St. Cloud Scheels for a fun day of racing, creativity, and Easter fun! From 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, April 5, kids ages 5-13 (with a parent/guardian) can build a free Lego car to take home (while supplies last), and race Hot Wheels and Lego cars! There will also be cookie decorating and a hunt for Lego Easter eggs. Check out the Facebook event for details.

Earth Day Run Kids' 1K - Kids can be a part of the Earth Day Run weekend fun for free! On Friday, April 11, kids 12 and under can come walk or run the kids' 1K race for free! The 1K starts at 5:30 p.m. Register and get more details here.

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.

Parent to Parent Connect - The Arc Minnesota facilitates a monthly networking group called 'Parent to Parent Connect.' This group creates an inclusive and supportive space that offers opportunities for parents, guardians, and caregivers of children birth to 22 years old with disabilities to connect, support one another, and find resources. Contact Anne Redetzke-Perry for more information.

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.

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.

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.

ROX COMMUNITY FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE

Applications for the Rox Community Foundation - which is administered by the St. Cloud Rox Baseball Club - are now open. The foundation will award 15 individual $1,000 scholarships to senior high school students in the categories of: arts, athletics, automotive, disabilities, education, and volunteerism. Applicants must graduate high school by June 2025 and have applied to a two- or four-year accredited college or university when applying. The deadline to apply is April 9. Click here for complete criteria and to apply.

IT'S AUCTION & RAFFLE TIME!

With the new year comes another opportunity to win big and bid on great items with the 2025 Big Auction and Big Raffle! Raffle tickets are on sale now at the BBBS office; stop by or call 320-253-1616 to purchase yours today. Tickets are $10 each for a chance at 10 cash prizes; the winner will be drawn on Friday, April 4. Thanks to Advantage 1 for sponsoring this year's raffle! The 2025 Big Auction is online April 4-11, so mark your calendar and be sure you're registered to bid! The site will be live to preview Friday, March 21, so stay tuned! Big thanks to Granite Partners for sponsoring this year's auction. Register to bid here.

BUY COFFEE, SUPPORT BBBS

Kinder Coffee and BBBS are teaming up to support local kids! With every purchase of a bag of special edition single-origin coffee, Kinder is donating $7 back to the agency to help recruit more mentors and support more kids. They offer light, medium and dark roast as well as decaf as whole bean or ground coffee. Each bag is $20, and you can subscribe to get bags sent to you at regular intervals so you never run out. Check out all of the options and details here. Thank you to Kinder for this partnership!

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!

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. 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.

WELDING DISCOVERY DAY

See if welding is the right career for you at Career Solutions' Welding Discovery Day. From 4-7 p.m. on March 20, head to St. Cloud Technical & Community College for a three-hour information session to learn more about what a future in welding looks like. You'll have the chance to connect with local welding employers and test welding tools and equipment. Call 320-761-1860 or email Kim.Randall@csjobs.org to register.

CENTRACARE SURGERY OPEN HOUSE

Take a behind-the-scenes tour of the St. Cloud Hospital operating rooms at CentraCare's Surgery Open House. Stop by between 6-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 15, for hands-on activities, a tour of the surgery unit, and to explore surgical careers. Tours begin at the Surgery Entrance at the St. Cloud Hospital (1406 6th Ave., N, St. Cloud). Park in the South Ramp, and take the South Ramp Elevator to Floor A. This event is free and no RSVP is needed; call 320-251-2700, ext. 54468 with questions.

SCTCC OPEN HOUSES SCHEDULED

St. Cloud Technical & Community College has two open houses scheduled for Spring 2025. The first on Tuesday, March 25, is for incoming Liberal Arts and transfer students and those interested in Business, IT, Education, or trades and industry. The second, on Wednesday, April 2, is for potential students interested in the Health Sciences and Nursing fields. Both run from 4-6:30 p.m. Learn more about the programs, connect with instructors, and check out hands-on activities in labs and classrooms. Drop by any time on March 25 or April 2, or click here to register or get more information.

AVIATION CAREER POST

Exploring is accepting registrations for the Aviation Career Exploring Post! The post starts March 20, and there are six sessions between March 20 and April 24. In those six sessions, participants will take part in hands-on activities to experience difference careers in the field of aviation. The cost is $25 per person. Learn more about the aviation career post and register here.

CENTRACARE IMAGING OPEN HOUSE

Learn more about the Radiology field at CentraCare's Imaging Open House. Stop by between 5-7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 23, to learn more about different careers you can pursue. The open house is at the CentraCare Plaza, 1900 CentraCare Circle in St. Cloud. No RSVP is needed - come and go as you please.

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.

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.