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Baker’s Pizza and Crawford: 20/20 Vision are teaming up to promote a new Youth Intervention program in Crawford County-YIPPIE! That’s not just excitement-it’s the group’s name: Youth Intervention Program, Purpose: Improve Everything (YIPPIE).

“Our annual golf scramble has raised money for area Booster Clubs the last 8 years, but I really wanted to find a way to help kids who need early intervention,” said Breck Baker, co-owner of the Bucyrus restaurant.

It just so happened that a group of Crawford County residents were thinking the same thing. “The need is urgent,” said local attorney Rob Neff, one of YIPPIE’s founders. “We really need to catch kids as they begin to mature (5th grade or earlier) and give them a sense of belonging, to the community and to each other-outside of the school environment — so that they know they have people who can be there for them when they need it.”

For some kids, all they need is a place to go, people to hang out with, something to do. YIPPIE aims to give local kids just that.

“Many of us have talents and hobbies that make our lives more enjoyable.  Sharing those talents and hobbies and awakening an interest in the youth of our county will make our lives more meaningful, too.” Neff said. “Our idea is to present them with a smorgasbord of activities, limited only by our interests and our willingness to share our time and talents. We hope this will result in: more youth involvement in positive activities; less involvement in drug and alcohol abuse and other risky behaviors; better school performance; closer connections between generations, resulting from expanded mentoring activities; and a greater sense of community-countywide– through alignment of groups with like interests.”

Though the “how,” “where” and “when” are still in the early planning phases, the “who” and the “what” are apparent and the Baker’s Pizza Golf Scramble is making an un-solicited donation to get this idea off the ground.

This year’s scramble will take place Saturday, July 26, starting at 12 p.m. at the Golf Club of Bucyrus on East Mansfield Street. Golfers can sign up at Baker’s or at the Golf Club; the cost is $50 per person and includes 18 holes of golf and lunch. Food and prizes will be donated by Baker’s Pizza and proceeds from the event will be donated toward the initial charter efforts of YIPPIE.