By: Jen Hu and Cassie DiSaia
Westborough High School is proud to offer its popular Best Buddies Club again this year. The high school chapter of Best Buddies is part of the international global volunteer organization that stands for creating opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The club creates one on one friendships for the individuals in WHS with these disabilities. Anyone can join the club as one of the three types of members. A Buddy is someone with an intellectual or developmental disability. A Peer Buddy is a club member who gets matched with a Buddy to be their friend and hang out with them outside of school as well as in the club events. Since there are only a limited number of Peer Buddy slots, students may also be an Associate Member who may still go to the events for the clubs, but do not need to take the responsibilities of a Peer Buddy.
The club has at least one event each month which include fun trips such as bowling, apple picking, and themed parties. The advisor for the club is WHS Special Education teacher Mrs. Breeze. Mrs. Breeze says, “Without active participation of members of the club, Best Buddies would not operate to the excellent level that it does now. Buddies now have friends to go to the movies with, hang out with at break, and meet with on the weekends for best buddies club activities.”
The officers include Hannah Crowley, Rachel Harris, Julia Kalinowski, and Hannah Cayem. Club treasurer Cayem says, “Best Buddies is a way to form long lasting, meaningful friendships that otherwise may not have been formed. It is a way to bring joy to many people through fun events and outings.”
Crowley, the president of the club, says, “Best Buddies is off to a good start. We had our first event this past Sunday with a 60 person turn out. We are excited for people to join. One look at Ethan’s face (one of the Buddies), and you know it’s time well spent.”
The next event is apple picking at Tougas Farm on October 12. See any of the officers or drop by Mrs. Breeze’s room at A228 if you are interested in joining.
