Feb. 7. Champion Tire & Wheel, the NASCAR logistics support company based in Cornelius, and PayPal, the worldwide online payment systems company, have signed on again this year as Presenting Sponsors of Big Day at the Lake.
John McCabe, senior vice president of worldwide operations for PayPal, said Big Day at the Lake and PayPal are a natural fit.
“PayPal’s core mission is making it easy for consumers and merchants to reach their financial dreams. Strong family values and strong community values are the fundamental foundation of an individual’s success. Big Day at the Lake and Big Brothers and Sisters creates that foundation and the local PayPal team is proud and honored to help in any way we can. Together we can enable the success of people’s dreams and aspirations in a way that is fun and inspiring,” McCabe said.
Both PayPal and Champion Tire are contributing $10,000 each to Big Brothers Big Sisters through Big Day at the Lake, which has virtually no overhead, thanks to in-kind contributions for everything from printing, courtesy of AlphaGraphics, to pizza, courtesy of Mama’s Pizza in Cornelius, to a beautiful place for a picnic for 600 people, courtesy of Duke Energy.
Big Day at the Lake XIII gets under way this month with a kickoff party for sponsors and supporters.
Big Day at the Lake has had the same three simple goals for 13 years:
- Provide a full day of fun on Lake Norman for at-risk kids in Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Charlotte.
- Recruit Bigs—the mentors who are the backbone of Big Brothers Big Sisters
- Raise money for a highly rated, proven non-profit
Big Day at the Lake is July 22 this year. It starts with the Blessing of the Fleet at 8 am, and continues with a full morning of fun on the water, culminating in the picnic at the Energy Explorium.
Champion Tire, a leading employer in Lake Norman, is a long-time supporter of Big Day at the Lake.
Kevin Mahl, co-owner of Champion Tire, said he has always subscribed to the idea that every single child deserves a chance.
“Big Brothers Big Sisters, with the help of Big Day at the Lake, lays some foundation for kids to gain a brand new perspective on the world. Who knows where that might take them,” Mahl said.
After hearing some of the stories of Boat Hosts and at-risk youngsters who have never experienced the lake, or tubing or even swimming, Mahl said Big Day at the Lake provides “perspective to more than just the kids.”
Ultimately, “Big Day at the Lake brings people together who would not otherwise come together, and that’s a good thing in this fractionated world,” said Dave Yochum, the founder of Big Day at the Lake.
Big Day at the Lake is well on the way toward a goal of $100,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Charlotte. Big Day at the Lake consists entirely of volunteers—literally hundreds of people—in and around Lake Norman. Follow Big Day at the Lake on Facebook for updates.
The “Beach Bash”April 27 is a party and fundraiser, held at Port City Club. “Celebrity Bartending” is held later in the spring at Alton’s Kitchen & Cocktails.
If you would like to know more about being a sponsor of Big Day at the Lake, call Finance Chair Della Stafford at 704-582-9688 or email della@devact.com, or Dave Yochum at 704-895-1335 or email nebiztoday@gmail.com or visit www.bigdayatthelake.com
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PHOTO BY STEPHEN NANCE
