Best Buddies Program Forms Lasting Bonds

Walk, bike or meander past Cro late on a Sunday morning, and you’re likely to see the smiling faces of party of buddies. The band of friends might be playing with a rainbow-hued parachute, tossing footballs, or creating art with sidewalk chalk. These aren’t just any buddies, but are in fact the Best Buddies: part of an international organization that pairs people up to form meaningful connections.

On Sunday Aprill 11, the Buddies held a movement workshop on Larrabee green, inspired by Heidi Henderson’s popular Experimental Dance class.

“The main goal of Best Buddies is to have one-on-one friendships between intellectually disabled people and college students,” said Seymour de Oliveira. De Oliveira recently began a position as College Program Manager for Best Buddies in Connecticut. He helps the various chapters in the state to facilitate friendships and gatherings, at colleges and universities and off-campus.

Students involved speak of the relationships they develop with the buddies. “The great beauty about Best Buddies is that people with intellectual disabilities love you for who you are as a human being they don’t love you because you’re famous or because you have a fancy car,” said Anthony Kennedy Shriver, founder and chairman of Best Buddies, in a promotional video.

“I think that’s something that’s really special about this organization, it’s really about the power of friendship.” Shriver continued.

The Best Buddies chapter at Conn was started in 2006 by Peggy McQuaid ’10 with the help of Rebecca McCue, Associate Director of the Holleran Center. Then, it had five pairings of college students and buddies, and met twice a month. Today, the program has grown, and the dynamics have shifted.

Sarah Holland ’11, a psychology-based human relations major and dance minor who is working toward certification in elementary education, now serves as the College Buddy Director.

“It’s been a transition year,” she said of the club. Best Buddies has recently moved from having older Buddies paired with the College Buddies to having Buddies ages 18 to 24.

Eliana, a junior, said, “The creativity and diversity of events this year, and the fact that we have buddies our age has been really energizing.”

Sometimes the differences in ability provide a challenge in scheduling activities for the whole group. “Today we did something with balloons, but we had one Buddy who’s petrified of balloons,” said Holland of April 11’s activities on the green. “So we had a College Buddy do a different project with them.”

“For those with sensory issues, we can always come up with another option that’s less involved,” Holland said.

Senior Blake Marcus began being a Buddy earlier this year, and has found the program to be very rewarding – and exciting. “We did a treasure hunt at the A.C.,” he gleefully recounted. “And a Yankee swap. That was so much fun!”

“Next year,” said Holland, “our goal is to focus on the one-on-one relationships.” Holland and Emma Rathkey will be co-directors for the Conn chapter.

“Our main focus is to recruit more people, people on the campus – we’re a nonprofit, so it’s just about recognition, and participation,” de Oliveira said.