Prairie Meadows Donates $210,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Iowa

Prairie Meadows Donates $210,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Iowa

Prairie Meadows Legacy Grant will help fund Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Iowa’s New Youth Mentoring Center

Des Moines, IA (August 22, 2024) – Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Iowa (BBBSIA) is thrilled to announce that it was awarded a $210,000 Prairie Meadows Legacy Grant for its “Building a BIG Future” capacity campaign. This gift will help fund the renovations to BBBSIA’s new Youth Mentoring Center located at 2130 Grand Ave in Des Moines specifically, the creation of a new game room aptly named Prairie Meadows Big Little Game Room. Prairie Meadows is a nonprofit organization dedicated to lessening the burden of government by promoting economic development, jobs, agriculture, and tourism in the state of Iowa.

In late 2023, BBBSIA announced its purchase of a new 10,500 sq. ft. building. Renovations are underway to expand the agency’s service capacity. BBBSIA will open its new Youth Mentoring Center this Fall 2024. The spacious facility will allow BBBSIA to serve more youth in Central Iowa and provide a welcoming and engaging space for their Littles to bond with their Bigs. Fostering meaningful relationships and promoting personal growth are essential elements of the work they do.

For almost 20 years, Prairie Meadows has partnered with BBBSIA to support their mission of empowering youth through mentorship. Their generous support includes funding bus transportation for Littles to Workplace Mentoring and providing technology resources, including iPads, for Littles (youth) and Bigs (mentors) to use together for college and career exploration. With Prairie Meadows’ partnership, youth in BBBSIA’s mentoring programs are 94% more confident about the future, 85% have improved their grades, and 89% have improved their relationships with their peers.

“Thank you to our dedicated partner, Prairie Meadows, for stepping up and committing to ‘Building a Big Future’ with us. Our new Youth Mentoring Center will enhance how we deliver mentoring to Central Iowa youth by allowing us to meet their needs with more flexibility. The Prairie Meadows Big Little Game Room will give our Littles and Bigs the chance to get to know each other in a safe and supported environment. This is especially true for new Big-Little matches as they start building their bonds and forming long-lasting relationships,” said BBBSIA CEO- Bridget Cravens-Neely.

“At Prairie Meadows, we believe in investing in the future of our community. The new Youth Mentoring Center will create lasting opportunities for Central Iowa's youth, and we are excited to be a part of this important step forward," said Julie Stewart, Prairie Meadows Senior Vice President of Business Development.

BBBSIA appreciates the support of Dean Snyder Construction, Dentons Davis Brown, Knapp Properties, and SVPA Architects for their partnership on this project. For more information about BBBSIA, including how to give, please visit bbbsia.org/building-a-big-future/. Visit prairiemeadows.com/community to learn more and the causes they support.

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About Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Iowa
For over 56 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Iowa (BBBSIA) has continuously dedicated itself to serving youth (Littles), ages 5-24, through professionally supported mentoring relationships with adults (Bigs) in Central Iowa. As a prominent youth mentoring organization in Central Iowa, BBBSIA’s mission is to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. Please visit bbbsia.org or call 515-288-9025 to learn how YOU can join our village.

About Prairie Meadows
Prairie Meadows began operations as a nonprofit organization in 1989, with the goal of promoting economic development, jobs, agriculture, and tourism in the state of Iowa. Through taxes and charitable donations, Prairie Meadows has given $2.2 billion to the state of Iowa. Prairie Meadows offers slot machines, table games, live and simulcast racing, sports wagering, hotel accommodations, entertainment, and more.