PORTLAND, Ore. – Coast Guard Sector Portland will host an event for the Columbia Northwest and Hood River Chapters of the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization Saturday.
The event is scheduled to start at 11 a.m. with approximately 80 participants, 40 matches of “bigs and littles.” The groups will be at the base to see demonstrations of many of the Coast Guard’s diverse missions.
Demonstrations will include law enforcement equipment and techniques, a 25-foot response boat from Coast Guard Station Portland and an HH-65C Dolphin rescue helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station North Bend, Ore.
The boat and helicopter crews will perform a search-and-rescue demonstration in the Swan Island Lagoon during the event. Also, the Coast Guard Auxiliary, a part of the Coast Guard made up entirely of volunteers, will be conducting fittings of lifejackets and explaining the importance of wearing one at all times while on the water.
The mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters is to help boys and girls achieve their potential through positive adult relationships. A volunteer doesn’t need any special skills to be a Big Brother or Big Sister, they only need to be interested in sharing special moments with a child. Just by sharing experiences, celebrating accomplishments and listening to a child’s concerns, a Big Brother or Big Sister can make a difference to a child.
