Become a mentor for a Cape child in need of a role model

Think of the role models in your life. It may be your parents, your grandparents, a family friend, teacher or coach who stood by you when no one else did.

Some children on the Cape and Islands are missing that mentor to help them navigate the ups and downs of the world. But at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cape Cod and the Islands, they’re working to change that through their mentorship program.

“We’re a one-to-one youth mentoring agency that matches kids who could benefit from having an additional caring adult in their (lives) to do activities in the community,” JR Mell, regional director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cape Cod and the Islands, said.

In honor of January being national mentor month, the organization is throwing its 6th annual celebration of mentoring at 5 p.m. on Jan. 25 at Cape Cod Beer.

“This is really shaping up to be probably our biggest and best one yet,” Mell said.

During the event, more than 300 volunteer mentors will be celebrated and members of the public will get the chance to learn more about the organization and ask current mentors about what their jobs entail. The aim is to not only raise awareness of the organization but recruit new mentors for more than 70 children not yet matched with an adult volunteer.

“It's really important for us as an agency to host and hold these spaces where people can come in (and) learn about us,” Mell said. “It's no pressure, you're not committing to anything (but to) find out what it's like (and) talk to a Big (Brother or Sister) firsthand and hopefully take one of those kids off of our waitlist.”

Many of the kids mentored by volunteers have experienced loss or hardship in their life, according to Mell, and their mentors provide them with a source of positivity and connection.

“The number one biggest thing that helps to impact and ease the impacts of youth trauma is having that caring trusted adult in their corner,” Mell said.

Throughout the Jan. 25 celebration, guests will enjoy live music, auctions, light appetizers and a free drink ticket for current mentors or mentors who sign up at the event. For those interested in becoming a mentor, the organization is actively seeking male-identifying mentors for 41 boys in need. However, all new mentors are welcome.

“Childhood goes by so quickly for kids,” Mell said. “It goes by in a blink of an eye and having that opportunity to impact that kid while doing this volunteer opportunity that gives back tenfold. It's just such a unique experience for everybody who's in our program.”

To RSVP to the free event and for more information, visit eventbrite. For more information about becoming a mentor, visit www.emassbigs.org/cape-cod/ or call JR Mell at 508-827-8170.

Other events happening on Cape

Cape and Islands' Orchid Society's Cape Cod Orchid Show in Hyannis

See some of the Cape’s blossoming orchids at the Cape and Island Orchid Society’s annual Cape Cod Orchid Show from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 20 and 21 at the Emerald Resort in Hyannis.

Tickets for the show are $10 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under and can be purchased online at www.caios.org/events/caios-2023-annual-show/. The Emerald Resort is at 35 Scudder Ave. in Hyannis.

Smiley Fund Comedy Night at Cotuit

Join comedians Steve Sweeney, Paul Nardizzi, Dave Rattigan and host Jim Ruberti for a laughter-filled night during the Smiley Fund Comedy Night on Jan. 20 at the Cotuit Center for the Arts.

A reception will be held at 6 p.m., the show starts at 7 p.m. and proceeds from the show go directly to the Smiley Fund, a non-profit organization working to raise awareness about brain cancer plus funds for the Pappas Center for Neuro-Oncology at Mass General Hospital. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased online at www.artsonthecape.org/explore/the-smiley-fund-comedy-night/. The Cotuit Center for the Arts is at 4404 Falmouth Road in Cotuit.

Lighthouse Chamber Players first concert of 2024

For their first concert of 2024, the Lighthouse Chamber Players are paying homage to some of the greats, playing select works of Brahms, Joachim and Kodály during their show at 3 p.m. on Jan. 21 at the South Harwich Meeting House.

The show begins with Brahms’ “Hungarian Dance No. 1” followed by Joachim’s “Romance,” Kodály’s “Duo for Violin and Cello, Op. 7” and ends with Brahms’ “Piano Trio No. 2 in C Major, Op. 87” and features Elizabeth Chang on violin, Carol Ou on cello and Alissa Lesser on piano.

The show is preceded by a tea room reception at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $25 for adults, $10 for students and available online at Eventbrite or at the door. The South Harwich Meeting House is located at 270 Chatham Road in Harwich.

Author Philip Hoare kicks off Napi's Restaurant lectures in Provincetown with whale talk

Author Philip Hoare will deliver "Leviathan Rising: How the whales became what we wanted them to be" at 7 p.m. Jan. 24 in the first of this season's "Napi's Lecture Series." . Admission is free. A cash bar will be available and, from 5 to 6 p.m., food from Napi's bistro menu will be sold. Napi's Restaurant is located at 7 Freeman St. in Provincetown.

Author of nine nonfiction works, including "Leviathan, or the Whale," Hoare lives in England and is a frequent visitor to Cape Cod. He describes himself as a "devoted whalehead" or fan, who has experienced interactions with whales. His speech explores how whales have changed in response to humans' presence in their watery world and if the huge creatures can survive interactions with vessels.

Jimmy Tingle's 'Why Would a Comedian Run for Office?' screens at Woods Hole Film Fest's Dinner and a Movie

We've seen a former reality TV show host serve as the president of the United States, an international movie star serve as California's governor and in Massachusetts a comedian run for lieutenant governor. As more stars pop up on the ballot, have you ever asked yourself why they're running? Or how we ended up here?

In Jimmy Tingle's "Why Would a Comedian Run for Office?" Tingle asks himself that question as he reminisces on his 2018 run for lieutenant governor of the commonwealth. In his hilarious 58-minute stage show, filmed at Harvard's Sanders Theater, Tingle breaks down the reality of running for office and being involved in American politics.

The political documentary will screen at 7 p.m. on Jan. 27 at the Redfield Auditorium as part of the Woods Hole Film Festival's "Dinner and a Movie" series. Tickets are $16 for adults, $12 for film festival members and $10 for students and the military. They can be purchased in advance online at www.woodsholefilmfestival.org/ or at the door, if supplies allow.

A conversation with Tingle will follow the screening focusing on his podcast "The Jimmy Tingle Show" and "Humor for Humanity" Tingle's social enterprise which raises funds and awareness for non-profits and social causes.

For more information about the screening contact the Woods Hole Film Festival at info@woodsholefilmfestival.org or call 508-495-3456.

Dana Lyn and Kyle Sanna perform 'The Coral Suite'

Join musicians Dana Lyn and Kyle Sanna for a night of Irish music focused on the environment of coral reefs at Devil’s Purse Brewing Co. presented by the Cape Symphony on Jan. 20 and at the Cape Sympthony’s Falmouth Campus on Jan. 21.

The duo will play “The Coral Suite,” an homage to the biodiversity of coral reef ecosystems intertwined with traditional Irish melodies.

Tickets for their 5 p.m. show on Jan. 20 at Devil’s Purse Brewing Co. (120 Great Western Road in South Dennis) are $25 and can be purchased online at devilspurse.com/events. Tickets for their 7 p.m. show on Jan. 21 at Cape Symphony’s Falmouth Campus (60 Highfield Drive in Falmouth) are $25 and can be purchased online at Eventbrite.com.

A reception will follow the show at Devil’s Purse Brewing Co. at 6:30 p.m.

Brett Warren Osterville Village Library

As children, navigating the world looks different than it does as adults. The experiences and traumas we endure are dealt with in futile ways, only to be readdressed, dissected and understood later on in life. In his book, “The Map of Unseen Things,” local author Brett Warren battles this topic in eight poems focusing on his childhood.

These poems will be read aloud alongside a conversation with Warren and local poet, writer and educator Mary E. Cronin during “Untangling the Past: ‘The Map of Unseen Things” at 11 a.m. on Jan. 20 at the Osterville Village Library. The event is free to attend.

The Osterville Village Library is at 43 Wianno Ave. #2028 in Osterville. For more information, contact Amy Wolfe at awolfe@clamsnet.org or call the library at (508) 420-0550.

Frankie Rowley covers entertainment and things to do. Contact her at frowley@capecodonline.com.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Mentor a Cape kid, visit orchid show and more Cape Cod events