Twenty-two years ago, I had been in Fargo for all of two weeks. A few of us from work headed to the bowling alley for pizza, a few beers, and some very bad bowling.
There was a woman there running a fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters on behalf of a local bank. I tried to talk to her. She blew me off without so much as looking at me. Honestly, it was impressive.
So I asked someone at the event who she was. They knew her name and where she worked. The next day I walked into her quiet bank, past a row of curious coworkers, straight to her desk. I introduced myself and asked if she wanted to grab dinner, tonight or tomorrow.
She said no.
It is just dinner, I said. Tonight or tomorrow?
She said, “No, I don’t know who you are.”
It is just food, I said. Tonight or tomorrow?
She said tomorrow.
I walked out so happy that I could not remember whether she had said tonight or tomorrow. So I showed up at the restaurant that very first night, just in case. She was not there. She showed up the next night, exactly like she said. We sat and talked for more than three hours.
That woman is my wife. And I am very thankful for Big Brothers Big Sisters.
So when Big Brothers Big Sisters asks GoodBulb for help, there is no version of me that says no. That organization was in the room the night my whole life changed. Painting the town green for them is the least I can do.
What we are doing
This September, GoodBulb is proud to join Paint the Town Green, a month-long campaign from Big Brothers Big Sisters Fargo, part of The Village Family Service Center, to raise awareness and support for mentoring across our community.
Light is what we make, so light is what we are giving. All month long, we are selling green bulbs, and 50 percent of the proceeds from every green bulb we sell goes straight to Big Brothers Big Sisters Fargo.
I will be honest with you. I wish we could give more. Building the only light bulb factory in America cost us just about everything we had, and we are still climbing. But half of every green bulb is what we can do right now, and we are proud to give it. When the factory is on its feet, we will do more. That is a promise.
Why it matters
Right now, 80 Littles are waiting to be matched with a mentor. Eighty local kids who just need one steady, caring adult in their corner.
Here is the part that makes it real. It costs about $100 to close a match, to pair one waiting kid with one mentor. So every green bulb you buy is real dollars toward putting someone in a child’s corner. A mentor is a friend, a role model, and a constant, and the research is as clear as the stories. A kid with someone in their corner does better in school, believes in themselves more, and dreams bigger.
We spend our days trying to bring light to dark places. This is the same idea, aimed at the people who need it most. And speaking from experience, you never know what one night with Big Brothers Big Sisters can turn into.
How you can help
Paint the Town Green runs September 1 through 30, and it is built so anyone can be part of it:
• Buy a green bulb from GoodBulb. Half of the proceeds go straight to BBBS Fargo, and you get a bulb made right here in America.
• Become a Big. A few hours a month can change a kid’s life. This is the one that clears the waiting list.
• Make a donation. Around $100 closes a single match.
• Shop the other participating businesses and spread the word. Look for the green all over town this September and share the campaign so that waiting list gets shorter.
Learn more, donate, or sign up to be a mentor at paintfargogreen.com.
Buy a light, be a light
We say it on our boxes and we mean it. When you buy a light, you help give light. Sometimes that light is a bulb made in America. Sometimes it is a lantern for a family with no power. And this September, it is a green glow across our hometown, and a real shot at a mentor, for 80 kids who are waiting for someone to believe in them.
Twenty-two years ago, Big Brothers Big Sisters gave me the best night of my life. This is me saying thank you.
Let there be light.
GoodBulb, Fargo, North Dakota.