"Behind every successful adult there is a positive role model that helped them foster their dreams.Whether it’s a parent, a coach, or a special friend, all children need mentors to reach their full potential”, said five-time World and Olympic track champion and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada (BBBSC) spokesperson, Donovan Bailey, as part of the EDULINX Mentoring Awareness Tour.
In an effort to build awareness about BBBSC mentoring programs as well as recruit new mentors, Donovan Bailey spent this past month visiting cities across the country as part of the 2005 EDULINX Mentoring Awareness Tour.The tour brings together members of the local business and education communities to discuss the power of mentoring, and to seek their support for BBBSC’s mission.
"Our goal is to recruit enough mentors to ensure that every child in
Canada who needs a mentor has one, and Donovan Bailey will be instrumental in helping us achieve that goal,” said Bruce MacDonald, President & CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada. “Children look at adult mentors as more than guides, or friends, they look at them as heroes - and Donovan Bailey is definitely a Canadian hero.”
For the past five years EDULINX Canada Corporation has been the title sponsor of the Mentoring Awareness Tour and has been actively supporting the In-School Mentoring program, which matches an employee and a local student for an hour every week during the school year.
“EDULINX is proud to sponsor this event and to have many of our employees volunteering in our local community as mentors. It is our experience that the program has a very positive impact on our employees and the children they are matched with, and we encourage other companies to support their employees in becoming InSchool Mentors”, said George Hopkinson, President of EDULINX.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada is the leading youth mentoring organization in Canada. It is committed to serving at-risk children and youth across the country by providing them with quality one-to-one relationships with volunteer mentors. They currently have 160 agencies in over 300 communities nation-wide and are serving approximately 20,000 children. Another 10,000 children are eagerly waiting to be matched with their special friend.
EDULINX is the leading student loan service provider in Canada and has been part of BBBSC “Leader’s Circle” since 2001. EDULINX is based in Mississauga, Ontario, and has approximately 600 employees.