T&S Brass VP named Big Brother of the Year

TRAVELERS REST, S.C. – Ken Gallagher, vice president of global sales for Travelers Rest-based T&S Brass and Bronze Works, has been named Big Brother of the Year by the Upstate South Carolina chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

Gallagher, who has been with T&S since 2000, was matched to Little Brother Christian Diaz in 2009.

“Ken is awesome,” said Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Upstate Program Specialist Kristen Walker. “He does everything with Christian — takes him on trips, rides bikes, hikes — and he has literally become a part of Christian’s family. But beyond that, Ken constantly goes above and beyond for our organization.

Statistics show a tangible impact on the lives of children — forty-six percent are less likely to begin using illegal drugs and fifty-two percent are less likely to skip school — who are partnered with a mentor such as a Big Brother or Big Sister.

“Being matched up with Christian has been such a blessing, I think for the both of us,” Gallagher said. “He’s a great soul to spend time with and we have a lot of fun, but we also spend a lot of time talking about the importance of school, good grades and making good choices. Quite often, I talk to Christian about those ‘forks in the road’ we encounter every day and how the decisions we make in life—both good and bad —make such a big difference. Those decisions are so critical to having positive things happen and in having one good thing perpetuate another.”

For more information about Big Brothers Big Sisters, visit http://www.bbbs.org. For more information about T&S Brass, visit www.TSBrass.com.