Dan Gill Tees Up with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern MA

WRENTHAM, Mass. – On Tuesday, Sept. 21, Dan Gill, 48, of Wrentham, will hit the fairways at Stow Acres Country Club for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts 18th annual Daquan Burrell Memorial Big Golf Tournament. The President of ROI Communications will be among 175 golfers to tee up to raise $50,000 to support the nonprofit’s year-round one-to-one youth mentoring programs.

Gill, a 12-year Big Brother, founded the Big Golf Tournament in 2003, which has since joined adult volunteer mentors for the program, referred to as Big Brothers and Big Sisters, along with their friends and colleagues, together for the cause. In 2017, the one-day fundraiser was renamed in memory of Daquan Burrell, a Little Brother for the program who tragically passed away earlier that year. Burrell was matched with his Big Brother Tim, a member of the nonprofit’s tournament committee, for nearly 10 years. To date, the annual event has raised more than $600,000 for the cause.

“The loss of Burrell is a sobering reminder that many children face challenging circumstances in their communities, and even more, grow up without the influence of caring adult mentors,” says O’Donnell, who walks his talk as a former two-time Big Brother. “Until every child in need of a mentor is served, the agency’s work is not done and we’re so grateful for our Big community that is consistently there for our Littles and their families.”

The state’s leading one-to-one youth mentoring program partners with under-resourced families to provide children with one-to-one relationships with caring adult mentors who help them reach their fullest potential. With research and proven outcomes at its core, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts creates matches based on shared interests, geography and personality and serves as a consistent resource for Bigs, Littles and their families. The organization welcomes Bigs and Littles of all races, ethnicities, cultures, socio-economic backgrounds, genders, sexual orientations, and physical abilities and serves as a bridge between communities and community partners, helping to address larger social issues, such race and education gaps.

“Being a Big Brother enriched my life significantly and I wanted to do more for the program and help more kids find more mentors, thus the Big Golf tournament was created,” says Gill, who served as event chair for nearly 18 years. “So many kids are in difficult situations and the simple presence of a mentor to help boost their self-esteem and navigate decisions has a profound impact on the likelihood that they will avoid negative outcomes and achieve higher levels of happiness, education and other opportunities for their life. Thousands of young people across the region could benefit tremendously from this type of mentorship in their lives and we have a responsibility to help enable this opportunity for them.”

To kick-off the event, Grant Ward, Big Brother and Big Golf Committee Member, will be speak about his involvement with the agency. For the tournament itself, golfers will tee up in teams of four to play 18 holes with awards going to tournament winners.

Currently, community-based matches are meeting in-person and socially distant only when the Big, Little, and guardian are all comfortable, following state and CDC guidelines. All site-based and campus-based mentoring programs remain online. Since March 2020, more than 600 new matches have been made virtually.

In its 70th year, the largest Big Brothers Big Sisters affiliate in New England has created and served more than 20,000 matches. The nonprofit is now enrolling and matching Littles and Bigs virtually. 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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