By John Johnston
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Big Brother Steve Coppel, 52, (right) walks near his Montgomery home with Little Brother David Krumme, 40, of West Chester Township. The Cincinnati Enquirer/CRAIG RUTTLE

One day almost 30 years ago, David Krumme met his match.

He'll tell you he's a better man for it.

Steve Coppel feels the same way. He was the "Big Brother" who met his "Little Brother" - Krumme, then 11 years old - at a gathering at Jewish Community Center organized by Big Brothers/Big Sisters Association of Cincinnati. The agency primarily serves children of the Jewish community, but welcomes youth and volunteers of any race or religion.

What happened next isn't unusual. The Big and the Little slowly began to form a bond. What is unusual is that the relationship has survived and continues to thrive. Krumme is now 40 and lives in West Chester Township; Coppel, 52, in Montgomery.

It's a good time to tell their story, because Sunday the agency will hold its 20th annual Bowl for Kids' Sake at Madison Bowl. Basketball legend Oscar Robertson is honorary chair of the event, which raises funds so that a new generation of children can benefit from mentoring.

(Several other big brother-big sister agencies operate locally, including Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cincinnati.)

Krumme grew up in a home with five siblings and a partially disabled father who didn't spend much time with him. So even though he didn't realize it at the time, he needed a mentor.

IF YOU GO

b>What: Bowl for Kids' Sake When: 12:15 p.m. Sunday Where: Madison Bowl, 4761 Madison Road, Madisonville Who: Individuals and four-person teams can register. Details: www.bowl4kids.com or www.bigbrobigsis.org or (513) 761-3200.

Enter Coppel, a recent college graduate who was encouraged to become a Big Brother by a friend. Then, as now, volunteers were asked to commit to the program for at least a year.

Initially they met once a week and attended agency-sponsored activities, as well as movies, sporting events and the circus.

"I remember talking to social workers after the first year and saying, 'I'm not sure I'm getting through to this kid,' " Coppel says.

"At a younger age, Dave was a follower. If he was with bad, he had a penchant for doing bad."

Krumme acknowledges that as a youngster, he tested some boundaries. But he says his Big Brother "didn't back me into a corner. It was the low-key approach."

After their first year, Coppel says, they attended fewer structured activities. What was important was the time spent together, even if it involved doing things as simple as washing the car.

They also talked a lot.

"A lot of it had to do with my own upbringing," Coppel says. "I tried to get David to understand the same principles I was brought up under." Many of those principles had been instilled in Coppel by his father, Werner, a Holocaust survivor who spent time at Auschwitz.

When Krumme was 15, his father died. About that time, the bond between Big and Little began deepening. A key, Krumme believes, was Coppel asking him to be his assistant coach for a Knothole baseball team.

By the time Krumme graduated from high school, they had been together seven years. Krumme gave his mentor a thank-you card, and a note that thanked Coppel for everything.

"When I read that," Coppel says, "I realized I had made somewhat of a difference. Because David could recognize it."

Following graduation, Krumme made plans to move to Columbus. When he came by to say goodbye, Coppel was choking back tears. The formal Big Brother commitment ended there. But the friendship didn't.

They stayed in touch. And when Krumme moved back to Cincinnati a year later and got a job as a locksmith, they again could spend time together.

Krumme went on to become a Big Brother himself. He mentored one boy for six years; another boy for three.

Today, he's still a locksmith. He's married, with a child and two stepchildren. And, "I still call Steve for advice," he says.

Coppel is vice president of manufacturing for a company that makes cushions for outdoor furniture. In the early '90s, he served as board president of Big Brothers/Big Sisters Association of Cincinnati. He's married, with two adult children. His daughter, Amy Coppel, is a Big Sister who also serves on the agency's board.

"We're still very much a part of each other's lives," Coppel says, sitting in his living room, discussing old times with Krumme. "If three or four days go by and I haven't heard from him or him from me, one of us is picking up the phone.

"I've gotten as much, if not more, out of this relationship as David has. He is a major part of my life, and my family's life.

"We taught each other a lot," Coppel says. "We grew up together."

E-mail jjohnston@enquirer.com