Meritrust has announced a $25,000 donation to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kansas, made possible by members participation in its Holiday Skip-A-Pay program. The donation will help support the organization’s community and school-based mentoring programs.

The check was presented on behalf of Meritrust members at halftime during the January 4 University of Kansas men’s basketball game, which was sponsored by Meritrust. Meritrust also presented 12 “Littles” from the Lawrence area Big Brothers Big Sisters programs with new bicycles.

With Meritrust’s Holiday Skip-A-Pay program, members were able to skip their December loan payments. The money collected from the program’s processing fee provided for the donation.

Big Brothers Big Sisters targets the children who need mentors the most, including those living in single parent homes, growing up in poverty and coping with parental incarceration, by finding the children great matches with Big mentors.