Eight years ago, Gary Stang needed 'more chaos' in his life after both of his children left for college, so he became a Big Brother through BBBS. He was matched with Carter, who quickly became a part of the family.

After seeing how well Carter interacted with Gary's son, Cole, Gary asked Cole to officially join the match, so for seven years Carter has had two role models to come to for advice. This year, Gary and Cole were named the Big Duo of the Year and Carter is the Little Brother of the Year! They love going to SCSU hockey games, playing video games, and just hanging out.

"(Gary and Cole) will always be important to me throughout my whole life," Carter said. "I think without them, I wouldn't be doing as good as I am now, nor the person I am now. They have taught me a lot, and I am really grateful for that."

It costs $2,000 per year to support matches like Gary, Cole and Carter. Your donation helps increase self-confidence, educational success and the outlook on life of our Littles - and ensures that every match is professionally supported every step of the way!

At Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota, we take the safety of our Littles very seriously, and every staff member and volunteer that is a part of the program - Bigs or otherwise - are required to pass a background check.

Each background check costs $50. In order to make the process of becoming a Big or volunteer as easy as possible, our agency covers the cost of every background check. With your support, we can continue to get Bigs through the interview process as quickly as possible and keep our Littles safe!