BY RECORD STAFF

Langley Mayor Paul Samuelson thanked South Whidbey Big Brothers Big Sisters volunteers with a proclamation at the last Langley City Council meeting.

Samuelson declared Tuesday, Jan. 20 as “Big Brothers Big Sisters of Island County Mentoring Appreciation Day.”

Big Sister Maureen Greene accepted the proclamation on behalf of all the “Bigs” on the South End. She was supported by her “Little Sister” Kira, board member Cynthia Shelton and South Whidbey site director Michaela Marx Wheatley.

Samuelson also called on the people of Langley to recognize the importance of mentoring and to look for opportunities to serve as mentors in their communities.

The city of Langley recognized its volunteer “Bigs”: Alec Buchanan, Jim Craft, Kelsie Fitzpatrick,

Larry Gardiner, Ross Godwin, Maureen Greene, Tabitha Helland, Katie Hicks, Tiffany Hoch, Sharon Knight, Diane Lantz, Earl Lawsen, Emily Lindus, Carol McNeil, Judy Morgenweck, Pam Nodus, Alyssa Price, David Rumill and Michael Zhou.

And all volunteers got a big round of applause from the audience and the Langley City Council.

Concurrently, Mayor Jim Slowik of Oak Harbor also declared the day “Big Brother Big Sisters Mentoring Appreciation Day” in Oak Harbor and awarded a proclamation to executive director Peggy Dyer.

Slowik and Samuelson followed President Barack Obama’s call to mobilize community volunteers to help young people achieve their full potential. A number of other prominent leaders issued proclamations in late December.

Anyone interested in being a mentor to a child, or families with children who would like to have a Big Brother or Big Sister, can contact Marx Wheatley at 221-6808, ext. 5417 or mwheatley@

sw.wednet.edu.

To learn more about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Island County,Click here.