If you have ever wanted to leap tall buildings in a single bound or increase the chances of career success for low-income children in a single night, hereβs your chance to be a superhero.
The Great Comic Con Caper β A Chic Geek Affair, staged by the Centurions, will benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tucson.
βWe are expecting lots of cartoon and superhero-types of costumes, and it should be a lot of fun,β said Joe Dhuey, chairman of the annual fundraiser for the nonprofit organization comprising businessmen and community leaders.
Founded in 1968 as an associate support group of St. Maryβs Hospital in order to raise funds for the St. Maryβs Burn Center, the Centurions went on to raise more than $7 million over the next 45 years for Carondelet Health Network when it was the regionβs largest Catholic nonprofit health-care system.
The Centurions became synonymous with grand, charitable theme parties designed to transport guests to exotic destinations or bygone eras. The money raised went to equipment, facilities and a wide range of programs and outreach for St. Maryβs and St. Josephβs hospitals in Tucson and Holy Cross Hospital in Nogales.
When Carondelet was sold to Tenet Healthcare Corp. and Dignity Health in 2015, the Centurions became an independent nonprofit organization. Its mission now is to support Southern Arizona causes dedicated to health care, education and mentorship, with a special emphasis on children.
The 2015 beneficiary of the newly formed nonprofit was Tu Nidito; this year it begins a $207,500 commitment to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tucson with the express purpose of launching the new Mentor2.0 program this fall.
Dhuey said the Centurions are excited about the program, which will provide one-to-one mentoring, technology and a special curriculum to assist high school students with planning for secondary education and future careers.
βThe essence is that it will help guide kids into a career path β whether that may be going on to college or into some vocation β as they prepare for the next stage of life after high school. This will give the kids focus, purpose and direction and hopefully create opportunities for them to be successful in their lives,β Dhuey said.
Marie Logan, chief executive officer of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tucson, credits the Centurions with underwriting the technology platform, training and other expenses associated with the start-up of Mentor2.0.
The program will launch with 50 to 100 freshmen and follow those students throughout high school with innovative online technology, in-class curriculum and mentoring. Each year the program will double in size as a new class begins; it will expand to serve 400 students over the next four years.
The students are from low-income families and most will represent the first generation to attend college.
βThe schools take care of basics like reading, math and science, but we want to teach these kids the soft skills they will need to be successful in college and the workforce: things like how to advocate for themselves; how to plan for education expenses; how to make long-term goals; concepts like delayed gratification, perseverance, and critical thinking,β Logan said.
As the students progress through the program, they will receive assistance in researching, choosing and applying for schools, learn about financial aid and gain other life skills necessary for secondary education. Mentors also provide real-life advice and conversations about personal college experiences.
Logan said Mentor2.0 has proven very successful in other communities; it has been shown to boost college enrollment for low-income students from 50 percent to 75 percent.
