HOUSTON – Eight children from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston took the ride of a lifetime Saturday after they raised the most money for the organization during a fundraising competition.
The competition, called “Lift Up My Little,” is when volunteer mentors (Bigs) set up personalized fundraising pages and have three weeks to solicit donations. Haven Duncan, 10, and his mentor, Zach McKenzie, were one of the eight pairs who raised the most money.
To reward their hard work, Big Brothers Big Sisters partnered with Bristow, a company that typically uses helicopters to transport people to oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. Bristow provided a 12-seat helicopter at the West Houston Airport and pilots spent the day taking the kids on rides across Houston. “I love being here today,” pilot Bradley Errington said. “It’s a nice change of pace for us and it’s going to be really great to see these kids get all excited about riding in a helicopter.”
Haven, who has never been on board a plane or a helicopter, was one of the eight children who won the ride. “It felt good and now I have something to tell all my friends at school about,” he said.
McKenzie, his mentor of three years, accompanied him on the 40-minute helicopter ride. “This was a first for both of us and it was really cool to see his reaction and for him to look up and see my reaction,” McKenzie said.
The “Lift Up My Little” campaign helped to raise over $20,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston.