Size does matter. It's important to be big, if only of heart, especially when you're being big for a little brother or sister.

They sure know that at Big Brothers and Sisters, Hamilton & Burlington, and if they come up big for hundreds of area kids who can use a good older role model, the community came up big for them on Saturday at the beginning of the four-part Tim Hortons Bowl For Kids Sake fundraiser.

More than 100 bowlers hit the lanes at Prime Time Bowling in Burlington to play for pledges. And, talking about size, probably the biggest people there were Ticat offensive linemen Marwan Hage (6-foot-2, 291 pounds) and Pete Dyakowski (6-foot-5, 315 pounds). Together they were more than a quarter-ton of bowler.

Dyakowski started strong. "I hit my pace early but then my game fell apart," he said sportingly. "No stamina.

"Actually, I'm just hustling him (Marwan). I'll come on at the end when he thinks he has me."

Hage said one of the biggest challenges was getting his fingers into the holes in the balls. "They're too small."

Ticat community relations director Shawn Burke was there as well. As were several big brother/little brother and big sister/little sister pairs such as Melissa Hemlow and Kate, and Cheryl Harding and Katie.

Bob Salan, co-ordinator of special events and volunteers for Big Brothers and Sisters, Hamilton & Burlington, said the goal for the event is to raise $120,000 toward the organization's programming.

They were well on their way Saturday. Many teams showed up, including several from Burlington atom hockey.

One team alone, The Pinheads, raised more than $6,000 Saturday. They are Dave Richter, his son Will Richter, Rick Ingram, Nelson Kolenski, Pat Mills and Lori-Ann Sferezza.

"There's always a need," said Salan. "There are 165 kids in the Hamilton and Burlington area waiting for Big Brothers and Big Sisters. And we're already serving 980 kids."

Saturday's gathering will be followed up with another Bowl For Kids Sake day at Prime Time Bowling (830 Laurentian Ct. in Burlington) on March 31 and with Bowl For Kids Sake days at Skyway Lanes (235 Melvin Ave.) in Hamilton on March 13 and 27, all sponsored by Tim Hortons.

Go online at www.callbigbrothers.com or call Salan at 905-525-3860, ext. 308 for more information, times, and details.

The season is cleared for takeoff. The Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra announced the launch of its exciting 2010-2011 lineup of concerts with an elegant unveiling at Hamilton Place's Piano Nobile Friday afternoon.

HPO conductor James Sommerville not only presided over the do, but also treated the gathering to a couple of very engaging French horn interludes, accompanied on piano by Aimee Tsuchiya, when he wasn't describing the season's programming.

The room was full of friends of the orchestra, from board members and staff to players and fans.

Among those in attendance were Glenn Mallory (Hamilton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra founder); lawyer Dermot Nolan; Duncan Gillespie (CEO of HECFI); Robyn Merritt; cellist Marsha Moffitt; viola player Elspeth Thomson; principal clarinetist Stephen Pierre; and, of course, Annelisa Pedersen, HPO executive director.

Sommerville dismissed rumours that the orchestra might move to Burlington, then praised the young musicians of this city he saw recently at a young performers competition.

Sommerville laid out the Masterworks series, featuring soprano Joni Henson, oboist Sarah Jeffrey, violinist Ewald Cheung, pianist Janina Fialkowska, and works such as Richard Strauss's Death and Transfiguration, Brahms's Symphony No. 2; Beethoven's Eroica; Schumann's Rhenish and Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique.

The pop series features James Keelaghan in Songs That Tell A Story; a Holiday Celebration with Hamilton Children's Choir; Darcy Hepner Jazz Orchestra doing The Music of Henry Mancini and a By Request playing of favourite film music.

For dates and details about the season, call the HPO at 905-526-1677 or check their website at hpo.org.

jmahoney@thespec.com

905-526-3306