Best Buddies for Life

Seated in the multipurpose room, students with and without disabilities gather together. With food on the tables, Hollywood-themed decor covering the walls and smiles on everyone’s faces, the Best Buddies club celebrates another match party.

Best Buddies was founded in 1989 by Anthony Shriver. It is a non-profit organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that “creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development and inclusive living for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD),” according to the Best Buddies website.

Originally started at the high school by teacher Lanell Poe four years ago, Best Buddies is a fairly new club. The club is now sponsored by English teacher Dana Curry, who chose to take on the lead position because she believes this club brings an additional opportunity for student involvement and inclusion for students with special needs.

“My favorite part about Best Buddies is watching the friendships form and develop between the buddies and peers,” Curry said.

The match party is a traditional aspect of the club where students without disabilities get paired with students with disabilities. It is celebrated and announced through a big party, the club’s first event of the year. 

“I love the match party [and] revealing the matches,” Curry said. “You can see the excitement on the faces of the buddies when they meet their new match and lifelong friend.”

President of Best Buddies senior Abbi Reece also enjoys the match party. Weeks prior to the reveal, Reece says she is interrogated by the buddies on who they are paired with. The surprise pairing is something she believes brings excitement to the club.

“These buddies really look up to the other students at BHS, and I love seeing the look on their faces when they figure out who their new best friend is going to be,” Reece said.

Although this is Reece’s first year as president, this is not her first year being in the club. She met her buddy and one of her best friends, senior Jailyn Strickland, her freshman year. Strickland is a vice president of the club.

“I chose to be president because I have witnessed the mission of Best Buddies play out in my own life with Jailyn and I’s friendship, and I wanted our friendship [to] be an example to the rest of the buddies,” Reece said. “Jailyn isn’t my friend because she’s my buddy. She’s my best friend because she is my most favorite person at Bryant High School, and I just wanted the opportunity to plant the seeds of new friendships.”

Strickland became vice president after she was nominated by a friend. She feels the same way about Reece and has gained new friends through the club.

“[I like this club because] I get to meet new people and make new friends, [and I love Abbi because] she is sweet and nice, and she is very helpful,” Strickland said.

Friendships like these are why Curry thinks the club is needed, as it provides more opportunities to make friends.

“This club is important because it allows students who may not otherwise be involved in school activities to be included and have a place where they may have interaction and have fun,” Curry said. “Equally important is the idea that it helps to establish compassion and understanding among those participating.”

The club is for students to grow, but Curry herself has learned a lot through sponsoring it. It’s another reason she continues to sponsor Best Buddies.

“I have learned a great deal about how much kindness and love that our student body has to offer,” Curry said. “The world needs opportunities that help to develop those qualities.”

Best Buddies’ next event will be a Friendsgiving celebration. It will be a potluck event on Thurs. Nov. 21 during Buzz Time. Reece looks forward to another memorable event.

“The friendships formed through this organization are some of the most authentic friendships I’ve ever seen, and I love seeing the ways in which we impact the buddies, but more importantly the ways they impact their peers,” Reece said.