Big Brothers/Big Sisters to Close Without Donations

Without significant help from the public, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bluegrass will have to shut its doors for good, the group announced Friday.

Members of the public are urged to donate whatever they can afford at an emergency fund set up at Central Bank.

Friday was scheduled to be the last day of operations for the non-profit, which matches boys and girls with older mentors, after board members voted to close earlier this week. Several private donors stepped in just hours before the doors were set to close for good.

The donors bought two weeks at most, said Alan Stein, recently retired president and chief executive officer for the Lexington Legends minor-league baseball team. He was one of the private donors.

Stein said he hopes donations from the public can buy a few more weeks until the Bowl For Kids' Sake, the organization's biggest yearly fund-raising event. The group rents office space at 1016 Rushwood Court.

Bendrea Wilson, a former manager for Big Brothers Big Sisters, put the first nail in the group's coffin when she embezzled more than $435,000 from the organization in 2009, Stein said. She pleaded guilty in federal court and was sentenced to four years in prison.

"We've never been able to recover from that," he said. "We don't have the money to keep the lights on."

Donations can be made by calling 1-800-201-8797, visiting www.bbsbluegrass.org or visiting any Central Bank location.

Source: www.kentucky.com