The Cantab Lounge in Central Square Re-Opens in a BIG Way

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – On Tuesday, Dec. 14, landmark bar and music club The Cantab Lounge, located in the heart of Cambridge’s Central Square neighborhood, re-opened under new ownership and with a new social purpose. Husband and wife duo Tim and Maureen Dibble welcomed 100 longtime donors and supporters of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts (BBBSEM), including honorary board member New England Patriots Wide Receiver Kendrick Bourne, to celebrate the agency’s one-to-one youth mentoring programs for which Tim has been a mentor to his Little Brother Curtis Blyden since they were matched in 1990.

The venue, once home to long-standing act, Little Joe Cook, closed at the top of the pandemic and sold in June 2021. While the bathrooms look new, much of the layout, ambiance, and content line up will be familiar as blue grass music and poetry slams will still be performed downstairs and R&B music will fill the upstairs. The Dibbles aim to use The Cantab Lounge as a space for which local nonprofits, such as BBBSEM, can gather and raise money and awareness for some of societies biggest issues.

“We have been blessed to have Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts be a huge part of our lives for the past 35 years,” says Tim, who co-chairs Big Night, the agency’s largest annual fundraiser which has raised nearly $40 million to support one-to-one friendships between young people and adult mentors since its inception in 1998. “The agency has been supported for years by an incredible base of generous donors, never more than during the pandemic when so much was at risk. We can’t think of a better way to honor and thank them than a night to re-open The legendary Cantab Lounge in Cambridge.”

During the event, Dibble and Little Brother Blyden spoke about the importance of mentoring, especially now, as the nonprofit continues to make matches. Guests enjoyed cocktails and light refreshments while dancing to the sounds by Boston’s own French Lick, featuring Celtics Owner and CEO Wyc Grousbeck on drums.

BBBSEM partners with under-resourced families to provide children, referred to as Little Brothers and Little Sisters, with caring adult mentors, referred to as Big Brothers and Big Sisters, who help them reach their fullest potential. With research and proven outcomes at its core, the nonprofit creates matches based on shared interests, geography and personality and serves as a consistent resource for Bigs, Littles and their families. The organization offers translators to mitigate potential language and cultural barriers and serves as a bridge between communities and community partners, helping to address larger social issues, such as race and education gaps.

“Not every match continues as long or as deep as Tim and Curtis, but many do,” says O’Donnell, who walks his talk as a former two-time Big Brother. “As the pandemic continues, families are in need of additional aid to ensure their children don’t fall through the cracks. Mentoring a child is one protective measure that adults can take to ensure youth fulfill their potential. We are so grateful to the Dibbles for their continued support of our mission.”

Throughout the pandemic, matches are maintaining their relationships by leveraging the nonprofit’s online resources as social distancing has kept them from consistently meeting in-person. Currently, community-based matches are meeting in-person and socially distant only when the Big, Little, and guardian are all comfortable while adhering to CDC guidelines. Since March 2020, nearly 800 new matches have been made virtually. In 2022, the agency aims to pair more than 750 new Bigs and Littles.

In its 70th year, BBBSEM has created and served more than 20,000 matches. The nonprofit is now enrolling and matching Littles and Bigs. For more information, to register your children or to become a volunteer, visit: www.emassbigs.org.

About Big Brother Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts is an innovative, energetic organization that is making a real difference in the lives of nearly 4,000 youth annually by providing them with an invested, caring adult mentor in long-term, professionally supported relationships. With research and proven outcomes at its core, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts is working to defend the potential of children facing adversity and ensure every child has the support from caring adults that they need for healthy development and success in life. The organization’s vision is to inspire, engage and transform communities in Eastern Massachusetts by helping youth achieve their full potential, contributing to healthier families, better schools, more confident futures and stronger communities. Throughout its 70 years, the largest Big Brothers Big Sisters affiliate in New England has created and served more than 20,000 matches. For more information about the agency and its mission, visit www.emassbigs.org.

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