Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central California on Saturday hosted a Men's Service Challenge event in Fresno where officials from the governor's office, local elected leaders and law enforcement urged men to volunteer as mentors and presented a $300,000 donation from the 300 Club.

Josh Bridal, representing the governor's office of service and community engagement, said the state is in crisis' over the condition of many young men and urged men to sign up for the Men's Service Challenge, a California Volunteers initiative that is calling for 10,000 male volunteers statewide. We are here because we're in crisis,' Bridal said, and directed listeners to menservicechallenge.com.

Organizers and speakers said the cash gift from the 300 Club will help local mentoring operations. Jack, a 300 Club committee member, said the group has raised about $8 million for the organization over decades and that this year's event produced $300,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Nick (vice president and CEO, as introduced at the event) described program outcomes used locally to make the case for mentoring: 95 percent of kids who joined early are not involved in juvenile justice, 89 percent improved emotional-management and avoided risky behaviors, and 96 percent raised or maintained educational expectations. Somewhere in your community where you represent, there's a boy waiting for somebody just like you,' he said.

Several elected officials and law-enforcement leaders urged greater local participation. Mayor Jerry Dyer said the governor's initiative includes $5 million statewide and told attendees the city has hired more than 525 people ages 18'30 through a youth jobs program; he said eliminating the local wait list should be a community goal. Assembly member Joaquin Rambula said the local wait list of children waiting for a mentor is about 140' and said he would sign up as a mentor himself.

Speakers from county government and public safety described mentoring as a preventive tool. Madera County Chief Probation Officer Rick Kolendo called the work a family, a village' effort that helps young men who carry silent burdens' and loneliness. Fresno County Sheriff John Zidoni said mentoring is how we keep people out of the criminal justice system' and urged the audience to help reduce the wait list.

Several current and former mentors offered firsthand accounts. Sergeant Eric Gill of the Fresno Police Department described how mentoring a sixth grader helped that child become a confident high-school leader. Board members and former mentees also shared long-term matches and said sustained relationships can last a decade or more.

Event leaders repeated a practical ask: the governor's Men's Service Challenge seeks to recruit 10,000 men statewide, and local organizers said the immediate need in Central California is to fill roughly 140 open mentor spots. The program's staff and board urged men to sign up, donate or share information about becoming a mentor.

Organizers said matches require background checks, training and staff time; speakers referenced the costs of running a mentoring program and the need for funds for backgrounds, training and stipends. The mayor and others emphasized that public- and private-sector partners, including local law enforcement and county probation, are already participating in mentorship efforts.

The event closed with additional testimonials from board members and staff, and a public pledge by several local officials to encourage men in their communities to volunteer. Organizers asked attendees to help get rid of the wait list' and to spread the Men's Service Challenge message in Fresno and the surrounding counties.