Heart of Illinois Big Brothers Big Sisters kicks off their new Drive for Kids’ Sake raffle this week. The winner will walk away with an all-new 2015 Jeep Wrangler Sahara 4×4 from Uftring Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in North Pekin, IL. Tickets are $100 each and only 500 will be sold until July 31 or until they sell out – whichever comes first.

The raffle is being conducted by an independent party, John E. Meister, CPA., under a raffle license issued to Heart of Illinois Big Brothers Big Sisters. All proceeds will benefit Heart of Illinois Big Brothers Big Sisters. By purchasing a ticket, each purchaser acknowledges having read and agrees to be unconditionally bound by the rules. To view rules, vehicle information and to purchase a ticket visit hoibbbs.org/DriveforKidsSake

 Heart of Illinois Big Brothers Big Sisters serves nearly 400 youth in Peoria and surrounding areas. To support one match for one year it costs approximately $1,000. Big Brothers Big Sisters one-to-one youth mentoring has proven to have a significant and positive impact on the lives of youth involved. These youth are more likely to improve their schoolwork, their behavior and their self-esteem. Last year’s outcome data showed:

• 83% of Littles exhibit stronger social behaviors with peers.
• 90% of Littles believe they have a stronger understanding of their school work.
• 83% said they anticipate continuing their education after high school.
• 86% have maintained or improved their grades.
• 82% said they understand and would avoid risky behaviors, such as alcohol & drugs.
• 93% of Littles improved their relationship with their parent or guardian.
• 95% have avoided the juvenile justice system.

 About Heart of Illinois Big Brothers Big Sisters

Big Brothers Big Sisters operates under the belief that inherent in every child is the ability to succeed and thrive in life. Most children served by Big Brothers Big Sisters are in single-parent and low-income families or households where a parent is incarcerated. As the nation’s largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network, Big Brothers Big Sisters makes meaningful, monitored matches between adult volunteers (“Bigs”) and children (“Littles”).

Big Brothers Big Sisters provides a system of ongoing evaluation and support, which is proven by independent studies to help families by improving the odds that “Littles” will perform better in school and avoid violence and illegal activities, and have stronger relationships with their parents and others. Headquartered in Florida with a network of nearly 340 agencies across the country, Big Brothers Big Sisters serves a quarter million children annually. Learn how you can positively impact a child’s life, donate or volunteer today at www.hoibbbs.org.