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(Indianapolis, IN) – Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana (BBBSCI), in collaboration with Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS), celebrated a record-breaking ”500 Bigs by the Indy 500” volunteer recruitment campaign with 638 potential volunteers sharing their interest in becoming mentors, or “Bigs.” 

With 1,000+ young people waiting for one-to-one mentoring services in Central Indiana, BBBSCI and IMS worked together to elevate the need for more caring mentors to support kids throughout Marion, Hamilton, and Johnson counties. 

“IMS is proud to take part in this successful collaboration once again this year,” said Penske Entertainment Vice President, External Affairs and Senior Corporate Counsel, Jimmie McMillian. “We are excited to celebrate a record-breaking year for this campaign and honored to be part of a community that sees the power of mentorship.”

“BBBSCI took on a big goal this year because it really matters to us that every kid in our community has access to relationships, knows they belong, and can participate in opportunities that help them learn and grow. We are so grateful that IMS collaborates with us in a big push to make this happen,” said Darcey Palmer-Shultz, CEO of BBBSCI. “During a season when so many people and the team at IMS is running 230+ mph, our Central Indiana community showed up for each other – especially for our young people – to far surpass our initial goal. And, that’s what makes our community special. So, thank you to IMS and all those who continue to show up to keep kids connected, inspired, and seen.” 

BBBS has been a leader in mentorship for 120 years, and BBBSCI has served this community for 50+ years. We use evidence-based mentoring experiences that show that mentorship provides the opportunity to tackle challenges around mental and emotional wellbeing; academic achievement; economic mobility; and positive behaviors and development for young people.  

    Being a mentor, or “Big,” through BBBSCI requires a one-year commitment to be matched with a mentee, or “Little.” Bigs and Littles meet two times per month, and together, they enjoy activities provided by BBBSCI and their partners or find activities within their community. To learn more about becoming a Big, visit  www.bebigforkids.org/volunteer. 

    Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana (BBBSCI) hosted its annual Big Futures Celebration: Match Graduation & Beyond, powered by AES Indiana, on Sunday, April 26, 2026.

    This year, BBBSCI is excited to celebrate 66 mentoring relationships between Bigs and Littles who have been matched up to 10 years. Graduating mentoring relationships feature a Little who is graduating high school or turning 18 years old. BBBSCI is also overjoyed to award 18 Littles with scholarships for their next steps with scholarships totaling a record high of $71,500 awarded.

    Each mentoring relationship is unique and special, and there are several young people who have
    accomplished a myriad of events in their lives already – from a young person who is graduating as class valedictorian at their high school to a budding photographer who has begun taking professional photos at IHSAA events.

    “AES Indiana is proud to once again serve as the presenting sponsor of BBBSCI’s Big Futures: Career & College Readiness program,” said Claire Rice, Senior Director of Corporate Affairs & Impact at AES Indiana. “We believe young people will power our future, and this program is helping open doors for students across Central Indiana. By connecting them to career exploration and college experiences, BBBSCI is making big dreams feel possible, and we’re honored to support that work.”


    “The Big Futures Celebration is one of the most fulfilling events of the year for Big Brothers Big Sisters,” says Darcey Palmer-Shultz, CEO of BBBSCI. “It gives everybody involved the opportunity to reminisce about the past months and years that these mentors and mentees have committed to each other; celebrate the present accomplishment of graduating high school; and dream big for the impactful futures ahead for the awe-inspiring young people in our program. BBBSCI is grateful to have this moment that demonstrates the collective power of mentorship in one room, and we hope to share that with the community.”

    BBBS has been a leader in mentorship for 120 years, and BBBSCI has served this community for 50+ years. We use evidence-based mentoring experiences that show that mentorship provides the opportunity to tackle challenges around mental and emotional wellbeing; academic achievement; economic mobility; and positive behaviors and development for young people.

    Mental and Emotional Wellbeing
    o The Need: According to the CDC, 40% of youth report feeling persistently sad or hopeless.
    o The Proven Opportunity: Mentored youth saw a 16% growth in emotional regulation and a 20%
    reduction in depressive symptoms compared to non-mentored youth.

    Academic Achievement
    o The Need: Districts report that roughly 22% of students missed 10% or more of school days in
    the 2024-2025 school year.
    o The Proven Opportunity: Mentored students are proven to attend school more regularly,
    perform better academically, and exhibit fewer behavioral problems than their nonmentored peers.

    Economic Mobility
    o The Need: More than 75% of youth are concerned about having necessary employment skills,
    and 74% of young adults lack access to a mentor.
    o The Proven Opportunity: Mentored youth earn an average of $200,000 more in lifetime
    earnings and are 20% more likely to enroll in college than their non-mentored peers.

    Positive Behaviors and Development
    o The Need: Young people who lack positive adult guidance face a significantly higher risk of
    entering the justice system – a pathway with cascading consequences for their futures, their
    families, and their communities.
    o The Proven Opportunity: Mentored youth are 46% less likely to begin using illegal drugs, 27%
    less likely to begin using alcohol, 54% less likely to be arrested, and 52% less likely to skip school
    than non-mentored youth.

    Being a mentor, or “Big,” through BBBSCI requires a one-year commitment to be matched with a mentee, or “Little.” Bigs and Littles meet twice a month, and together, they enjoy activities provided by BBBSCI and their partners or find activities within their community.

    To learn more about becoming a Big, visit www.bebigforkids.org/volunteer.

    To learn more about BBBSCI and this graduating class of mentoring relationships, visit www.bebigforkids.org/event/bigfuturescelebration/.

    (Indianapolis, IN) – Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana (BBBSCI), in collaboration with Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS), officially announced today a volunteer campaign to recruit “500 Bigs by the Indy 500.” 

    From March 1 through May 24, the day of the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500, BBBSCI and IMS will be working together to share the need and urgency for more mentors in the Central Indiana community. With 1,000+ kids who are waiting for a mentor in Central Indiana, BBBSCI and IMS are looking for 500 community members to step up and take the first step to become a mentor alongside 80+ businesses to invite BBBSCI to share more about the power of mentorship. 

    “IMS is excited to work with BBBSCI for another year to encourage more connection throughout our community,” said Penske Entertainment Senior Corporate Counsel Jimmie McMillian. “Just like how we bring together 350,000+ people for the Indy 500, we hope to bring together hundreds of kids and community members in Central Indiana through this campaign.” 

    “It’s a clearly a busy time of year for IMS and the Indy 500, so it says a lot about their commitment to our community’s future – our amazing kids – that they collaborate with Big Brothers Big Sisters on this push to find more mentors,” says Darcey Palmer-Shultz, CEO of BBBSCI. “Volunteering as a mentor is about showing up for a young person you may have otherwise never met because you believe it matters to be part of a community where all kids have encouragement and opportunity. And the team at Big Brothers Big Sisters guides and supports you every step of the way.” 

    BBBS has been a leader in mentorship for 120 years, and BBBSCI has served this community for 50+ years. We use evidence-based mentoring experiences that show that mentorship provides the opportunity to tackle challenges around mental and emotional wellbeing; academic achievement; economic mobility; and positive behaviors and development for young people. 

    Being a mentor, or “Big,” through BBBSCI requires a one-year commitment to be matched with a mentee, or “Little.” Bigs and Littles meet 4-6 hours per month, and together, they enjoy activities provided by BBBSCI and their partners or find activities within their community. To learn more about becoming a Big, visit www.bebigforkids.org/volunteer. 

    To learn more about BBBSCI and how to get involved with the 500 Bigs by the Indy 500 campaign, visit www.bebigforkids.org/500by500. 

    Purchase the Share Your Light Candle – a limited Big Brothers Big Sisters candle created by Primrose Candle Co

    To celebrate National Mentoring Month and the power of showing up for others, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana has teamed up with Primrose Candle Co to create a one-of-a-kind candle. This inviting fragrance blends sweet sugar plum and juicy mandarin with fresh greens, soft musk, and gently mulled citrus, creating a scent that is juicy and radiant.

    Purchase Share Your Light Candle

    Available for the month of January in honor of National Mentoring Month, Share Your Light is an awareness partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana. This candle is designed to shine a light on the importance of mentorship in our community.

    Light this candle as a reminder that sharing your time, support, and encouragement can make a meaningful difference. Check out Share Your Light, and become a Big yourself at bebigforkids.org/volunteer.

    Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana was honored to be awarded as the Best Non-Profit/Charity at the Indianapolis Community’s Choice Awards hosted by IndyStar.

    Here at BBBSCI, we provide young people in Central Indiana with mentorship resources by connecting kids in our program, known as “Littles”, with supportive mentors, known as “Bigs”. Together, our Bigs and Littles spend time in the community or at BBBSCI hosted events building their friendship and growing the confidence and skills of the Little. These moments and experiences help our young people find the tools to build their biggest and brightest futures!

    We currently have over 1,000 kids in our community who are waiting for mentor. If you would like to positively impact the life of a child, there is no better time than now to become a Big! Sign up at bebigforkids.org/volunteer.

    This National Mentoring Month, Big Brothers Big Sisters is teaming up with Starbucks to celebrate the many ways that our volunteers show up and share their light with the young people in Central Indiana!

    Thanks to our partners at Starbucks, active Bigs and supporters can redeem a free, tall [12oz.] drink of your choice from a participating Starbucks location!

    All you have to do is present your BBBSCI volunteer ID card or your promotional postcard (pictured above) to receive your free tall beverage on January 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30!

    Click here to find a participating Starbucks store near you!

    This National Mentoring Month, we’ve partnered with Starbucks to help us give a huge thank you to our Bigs. On every Friday during the month of January, active Bigs can redeem a free, tall [12oz.] drink of your choice from a participating Starbucks location!

    Present your BBBSCI volunteer ID card or your promotional postcard at participating Central Indiana Starbucks stores to receive your free tall beverage (12 fl. oz.) beverage on January 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31.

    Click here to find a participating Starbucks store near you!

    Note: Starbucks counters located inside retail stores, hotels, airports, etc. are not participating in this promotion.

    On September 26, 2024, Eli Lilly and Company partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana for their annual community-service campaign known as Lilly Global Day of Service. On this day, volunteers helped to spread the mission of mentorship by delivering Big Brothers Big Sisters yard signs across central Indiana.

    For our 10th year of partnership, we had the opportunity to work with a brand-new group of 40+ volunteers from Eli Lilly and Company known as Chorus. They are described as “an integrated team of drug developers providing IND-enabling and clinical development capabilities.”

    Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana hosted a kickoff breakfast for all our Eli Lilly and Company volunteers where they had the opportunity to learn more about our organization and fuel up before heading out to deliver signs.

    In total, our volunteers delivered over 650 Big Brothers Big Sisters signs to yards, schools, and businesses across Marion, Johnson, and Hamilton county.

    We are immensely grateful to Eli Lilly and Company and the Chorus team for playing an integral role in Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana’s largest annual grassroots awareness campaign!

    Big Brother Bob Rath with Little Brother Xavier.

    I am a Colombian American who grew up in Indianapolis at a time when there were very few Hispanics in Indiana, only around one percent. My dad passed away when I was just three years old, leaving my Colombian mother to raise four young children, aged three to ten, on her own.

    The 1970s were a difficult time for single mothers and for immigrants in Indiana. Finding employment, obtaining credit, and buying used cars were just a few of the barriers faced by women, especially immigrant single mothers.

    We felt lucky to have an international aspect to life – in cuisine, books, décor, perspective. But, in some ways, it just seemed normal to us. I remember an incident when I was about five years old. Someone made a comment about my mom’s accent, and I wondered, “what accent?” She spoke limited English before marriage and always had a strong accent, but it was just normal to me.

    Our nearest relatives were in eastern Ohio and New Jersey, and most of my family lived in Colombia. Mom was our only daily adult influence, and we think she did a great job raising four kids on her own, always a proud Colombian.

    My appreciation of my heritage grew over time, especially as an undergraduate at Indiana University. As a senior preparing to graduate from college, I sought opportunities to work internationally. I began my career at RCA and had several assignments in Mexico, where I met and married my wife, Alma.

    “My Hispanic heritage has influenced every aspect of my life, for which I am a happy and proud Hispanic Hoosier.”

    We speak Spanish at home, our three kids are bilingual, we have all worked with international organizations or clients/students, and we visit family in Mexico when possible.

    My Hispanic heritage has influenced every aspect of my life, for which I am a happy and proud Hispanic Hoosier.

    Bob and Xavier at the Indianapolis Zoo around Día de los Muertos.

    Xavier’s father was from Mexico but has not been present in his life. Xavier expressed an interest in connecting with his heritage, which I believe was a factor in our being matched by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana. Being Hispanic American is something important that we share and appreciate.

    We have attended several international events together, including Fiesta Indianapolis, Fiesta Lawrence, and Día de los Muertos celebrations. Xavier has enjoyed trying cuisine from different parts of Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela. He even started to make breakfast burritos at home!

    Celebrations of heritage were not very common in Indiana when I was growing up. I love that people now gather to celebrate so many aspects of their lives, including heritage and identity. Many families, like mine growing up, are unable to visit their family abroad. Events like Hispanic Heritage Month bring people together here, in Central Indiana, to celebrate their culture with people from all cultures.

    A couple of events predate Hispanic Heritage Month but laid a foundation, locally. For our family and many others, Indianapolis became a brand-new city after hosting the Tenth Pan American Games in 1987. Never had so much Spanish been spoken in Indianapolis! Fiesta Indianapolis was a big deal in the 1980s, also. Mom was a founding member of the Sociedad Amigos de Colombia and would cook flan for the SADCO booth at Fiesta in the early years.

    Xavier and I will be at Fiesta Indianapolis again this year, for sure!

    INDIANAPOLIS (September 26,2024) – On September 26, 2024, Reggie Wayne will address hundreds of top business and civic leaders at Lucas Oil Stadium for The Main Event with Title Sponsor Delta Faucet Company and benefitting Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana (BBBSCI). 

    Reggie Wayne, entering his third season as the Indianapolis Colts’ wide receivers coach, has made significant contributions both on and off the field. During his tenure, the Colts’ offense has consistently ranked among the top in the NFL, with players like Michael Pittman Jr. achieving career-high statistics under Wayne’s guidance. A first-round pick in the 2001 NFL Draft, Wayne set franchise records for the Colts, earned six Pro Bowl selections, won a Super Bowl ring, and secured induction into the team’s Ring of Honor. During The Main Event, BBBSCI will also recognize their annual Community Mentor Award honoree – this year, in legacy of Jim Morris of Pacers Sports & Entertainment – and their 2024 class of Alumni Hall of Fame Bigs & Littles. 

     The Main Event is a traditionally sports-themed event that has long been one of the city’s premier fundraisers, raising over $400,000 for BBBSCI. “At Delta Faucet Company, we believe deeply in the power that connection and relationships have on our community. We are honored to partner with BBBSCI to support the work they do in central Indiana to connect kids with caring mentors and proud of our employees that serve as Bigs to support this mission,” stated Joe Rogalski, Vice President – Information Services of Delta Faucet Company and Board member for BBBSCI. 

    “We can’t wait to host The Main Event in Lucas Oil Stadium for the very first time with the legendary Reggie Wayne,” shared Darcey Palmer-Shultz, CEO of BBBSCI. “Each year, BBBSCI is blown away by our community’s support, which shows a commitment to making sure every kid has somebody by their side to guide them, encourage them, and inspire them.” 

    “I am so excited to be a part of The Main Event and BBBSCI’s mission,” said Reggie Wayne, celebrity guest speaker at the event. “Mentors in my life have guided me through the toughest challenges to find my greatest achievements, and I have had the opportunity to mentor many young people during my coaching career. BBBSCI truly exemplifies the importance of and commitment to connection in central Indiana.” 

    BBBS has been a leader in mentorship for 120 years, and BBBSCI has served this community for 50+ years. We use evidence-based mentoring experiences that show that mentorship is good for young people, good for the economy, and good society: 

    Being a mentor, or “Big,” through BBBSCI requires a one-year commitment to be matched with a mentee, or “Little.” Bigs and Littles meet 4-6 hours per month, and together, they enjoy activities provided by BBBSCI and their partners or find activities within their community. To learn more about becoming a Big, visit www.bebigforkids.org/volunteer. 

    To learn more about BBBSCI and The Main Event, visit https://www.bebigforkids.org/event/the-main-event-2024/.