Photo by Mike Lamb Ben Jahn helps Armando Salazar with his pool table shot during a Big Buddies activity at Fuzzy Bar in Marshall on Saturday.

MARSHALL — Three years ago, Marshall mother Emma Russ wanted her two young daughters to get involved in activities that would leave a lasting positive impact on them. She found it with the Big Buddies program.

Russ and her daughters, ages 12 and 7, participated in a Big Buddies activity Saturday afternoon at Fuzzy’s Bar on Main Street. Fuzzy’s owner, Dan Fosvick, invited the children involved in Big Buddies to spend a couple yours playing pool and throwing darts before the bar opened for business later that day.

“It’s like a family event,” Russ said. “You get together. It’s a nice big family.”

Shelly Castaneda is the youth development coordinator for Big Buddies. She sets up activities for the program once or twice a month during the winter, and weekly during the summer.

“We just have monthly activities,” she said. “Probably a lot of these kids don’t do a lot with pool and darts.”

Castaneda said she depends on community partners to provide locations for the activities. Besides needing more partners, she said the program needs more big buddies. Currently 35 children, ages 5-18, in the program, but only 17 big buddies.

Those interested in helping can contact the United Community Action office at 507-537-1416.