Big Brothers, Big Sisters Hold a Family Picnic

Some of the things that happened to 11-year-old Rosy Ceriane five years ago were, in her own words, “scary.” Her mother tried to commit suicide and her father, Gary, decided it was time for a divorce.

“Rosy kept blaming herself for a lot of things that went wrong,” Gary Ceriane said. “She was really rowdy and talked back and said she didn’t want to live with me anymore. It’s kind of hard trying to teach them everything they should know.”

The Cerianes came to Huntington Beach’s Central Park for the Big Brothers-Big Sisters of Orange County annual picnic Saturday, which drew a crowd of almost 400 single parents, children and volunteers for a day of carnival games, kite flying, relay races and cook-outs.

Gary Ceriane said that Rosy’s attitude began improving last year after she enrolled in the Big Brothers-Big Sisters program, which matches children between 6 and 16 with adults who act as role models and friends. Several interviews and screenings later, Rosy and her big sister--an architect from Huntington Beach named Stephanie Hume--met at the nonprofit organization’s Tustin office.

Rosy said that she and Hume were both worried that they might not like each other but quickly grew close.

“When I have a problem, she gives me ways I can work it out,” Rosy said, sitting close to her father on a green picnic bench. “She doesn’t put it in a little kid way and she doesn’t use big words like my teacher does. She’s interested when I tell her things.”

Gary Ceriane, a printing press operator, said that his relationship with his daughter has “mellowed out a lot” since she started spending one day a week with Hume, going to the movies, comparing their collections of pandas or just talking. In fact, he also has begun devoting one day a week to doing things with Rosy.

Saturday afternoon, staff members announced the names of the volunteers who, out of the county’s 220 Big Brothers, 90 Big Sisters and 10 participating couples, had made outstanding contributions to the program in the past year.

Big Brother of Year

Brian Cassingham, who was named Big Brother of the Year, sat watching the festivities from a lawn chair as he held his Little Brother, Brandon Bowen, 5, on his lap. In a quiet voice, he talked about his other charge--Brandon’s brother, Eric--who died of leukemia in January at age 7.

“We tried to do many of the things he had always done, like fishing or bowling, until his leg got too bad (from a tumor in his knee),” Cassingham said. “I was glad I could be in his life and make it a little less difficult for him.”

The boys’ mother, Carol Bowen, said Cassingham watched over Eric during the last hours of his life while she tried to get some much-needed sleep. “Eric had asked for no more nurses at home, so Brian would come and sit with him,” she said.

“With Eric being sick, it exposed me to a lot of things I’d never been exposed to before,” Cassingham said. “That’s how I got into the health care field.”

He said he used to manage restaurants, but was so touched by the children and health-care workers he met at Childrens Hospital in Orange (where Eric was being treated) that he now manages a health-maintenance organization in that city.

The picnic was also planned to acquaint prospective volunteers with the program and its goals. Jo Alexander, executive director, said there are now 55 girls waiting for Big Sisters and 130 boys waiting for Big Brothers.

“Our biggest problem in this agency is finding Big Brothers,” Alexander said. She said fewer men than women volunteer.

“All I know is that we’ve got a darned good program, and you can really make a difference in a child’s life,” she said.