Big Brothers Big Sisters of West Island 23rd annual Valentine’s breakfast

The Big Brothers Big Sisters of West Island (BBBSWI) Valentine’s Day Charity Breakfast was back for its 23rd year in Dorval.

The organization matches a big volunteer with a youth. The two embark on a year-long partnership, which includes two regularly scheduled outings a month, lasting a few hours each.

The annual breakfast is held every year at Jack Astor’s Dorval.

Mikey, who is a little brother says, “You always have someone to count on.”

The sentiment is shared by his big sister within the program, Emilie Battet. “So he’s really like my little brother. I don’t have any little siblings. All of my family live somewhere else, so I don’t have a lot of young family around me.

“So honestly, it’s really nice. It’s like having a little brother. It’s so much fun. It keeps me young, doing activities that I never would do without him.”

Valentino Pietrantonio is the executive director of BBBSWI. “This is a key fundraiser for the organization. It’s our 24th year of running the Valentine’s Breakfast.

“It’s an opportunity to obviously thank the community for their support, in the middle of February on Valentine’s Day, where obviously we’re celebrating the love and generosity of the community, in their support of the agency. And the proceeds from this event basically support our mentorship programs.”

Stacy Kertzer is the bar manager at the hosting restaurant, Jack Astor’s Dorval.

“All my staff is volunteer,” Kertzer said. “I was here at 5 a.m. They got here around 5.30 a.m. I have seven volunteer workers, plus my kitchen manager and my general manager are doing all the cooking for everybody. It’s 5 a.m. until 10.

“And then after that, we have to reset the restaurant and get ready for lunch for the 11:30 service.”

Julia Chiarella-Genoni is a West Islander and supporter of BBBSWI.

“Oh, I come here every year,” she said. “I think it’s the best way to start Valentine’s Day, and I love supporting the community. Big Brothers, Big Sisters is a fantastic organization, so I’m happy to be here.”

“A lot of people are worried to join the program because they think it would take a lot of time, or that they’re worried that they don’t have enough time for it,” added Battet. “But actually, you realize it’s very easy to fit it into your schedule once every two weeks, or once a week for a few hours.

“You know, you’ll always find time in your day, and it’s so much fun. It’s not a burden. It doesn’t feel like volunteer. It’s really, really nice, so I would encourage anyone to do it.”

Kertzer shares that, “It’s such a warm and fuzzy feeling to be able to get back to the community and help a non-profit in the West Island do better for children.

Pietrantonio explains, “We have four mentorship programs at the agency, and we use the proceeds to fund the development of the programs.

“There is an ongoing need for volunteers to be able to support the youth in our community, and that need continues to increase as the needs in the community change over time.

“But we are always looking for new volunteers, and I would say with special emphasis on male volunteers, just because we have a wait list that is longer on the male side, and so particular focus on male volunteers as well.”