Making A ‘Big’ Difference

On the weekends, Bryan Murtagh is a “Big.” During the week, he is CEO of Pro-Link Canada Sanitary Supplies Inc., a Canadian buying/marketing group based in Ottawa, Ontario.

A 17-year-old boy named Chris is Bryan’s “Little.” Bryan and Chris are participants in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.

The Little Brothers (known as “Littles”) are boys between the ages of 6 and 18 who are matched with a Big Brother (a “Big”) through a carefully orchestrated interview and matching process.

Founded in 1904, the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization is the leading youth mentoring organization in North America. “The boys’ program is designed for families that don’t have a man in the house. The mothers apply to the program on behalf of their sons,” said Bryan.

Bryan got involved in 1995 when Chris was 8. “I was in my late 40s, and both of my daughters were away from home. I thought I might be a little old, but had always been thinking about volunteering for the program. I found out that age is not an issue. The biggest concern is that you have the time and make the commitment,” Bryan said.

Bryan and Chris normally meet for two to six hours a week. They bowl, ice skate on the canal, and go to movies, hockey games, football games, and museums. They do, according to Bryan, “anything you would normally do with your own kid. As Chris got a little older and was playing his own sports, I’d go to his games. We’d hang out after the game and go out for something to eat.”

They have worked for charitable causes, too. Bryan and Chris have been involved in community projects, such as art auctions, soapbox derbies, golf tournaments, and community fundraising walks.

Meals are also an important part of the get-togethers. Bryan had only raised girls, so seeing how much a growing boy eats was a big surprise. Pizza is the common denominator. “Anything with pizza is Chris’s favorite, and I like it because you pay a set amount and then eat until you drop,” said Bryan.

Bryan was with Chris as he moved from childhood to adolescence, and Chris was part of Bryan’s life as he went from being an “empty nester” to grandfather. Today, Chris is taller and bigger than Bryan is, and always jokingly makes it a point to remind Bryan to ask for the senior citizens’ discount.

All along the way, they’ve learned from each other. Bryan says that the greatest lesson he learned from Chris was “to be low-key. We could just get together and hang out. He brought a dimension to me that taught me I don’t have be super-organized in everything I do.”

Chris learned about stability — that his Big Brother would show up when he said we would be there.

“A common misconception about being a Big Brother is that you have to do something extraordinary. You don’t. All you have to do is to be yourself. It’s important to remember that you are being a brother; you’re not a father,” said Bryan.

The significant difference between “brother” and “father” was made very clear to Bryan during an overnight trip to a camp with a group of Big and Little brothers. When you have a sleepover with 34 brothers, you can count on more time spent goofing around than sleeping.

Gretchen Roufs, a 15-year janitorial supply industry veteran, owns Auxiliary Marketing Services of San Antonio. To suggest someone you think should be featured in “freetime,” contact her at (210) 601-4572 or e-mail.