Throughout the 2017-18 school year, York’s chapter of Best Buddies has worked to spread kindness around the school with campaigns and fundraisers organized and run by members of the club.

Best Buddies pairs students with peer buddies or offers students the chance to just attend meetings and form friendships with everyone involved in the club. Students involve themselves and get to know others to spread the idea of kindness throughout the school.

“Best Buddies was a very easy decision for me,” Nibia Joseph, senior, said. “I was a member of Circle of Friends all throughout high school, and Best Buddies is essentially, in my opinion, just a better version of that because of its one to one friendship component. When Mr. McGuire told me York would be making the transition from Circle of Friends to Best Buddies, I was beyond excited thinking of how much better of an experience students with and without intellectual and developmental delays would have in high school because of it.”

With the fundraisers and campaigns led by Best Buddies, students not involved in the club have had the chance to involve themselves with what the club stands for: kindness, genuine friendships, and opportunities for all.

“There are many opportunities to involve yourself with Best Buddies,” sophomore Ella Pittman said. “There is an annual Friendship walk for Best Buddies that York is participating in. The event takes place in May and York has created the team ‘Duke Buddies’ and we have already raised over $1,000. Another way you can get involved is attending our monthly meetings and parties, and also be involved in a buddy pair.”

The Best Buddies members made it their goal to spread kindness throughout York and did so by joining the ‘Spread the Word to End the Word’ campaign, selling bracelets and stickers, and encouraging all students to show kindness to everyone.

“Throughout the year we have many parties and fundraisers to help support Best Buddies,” Madison McGreal, sophomore, said. “Like selling stickers, being apart of the Spread the Word the End the Word campaign, and more.”

There are many ways to become involved in the York chapter of Best Buddies. Students can become a member, a peer buddy, or just support the club in their fundraisers and campaigns.

“The first way you could involve yourself is by becoming a member,” senior Lauren Gould said. “If you would like to take it a step further and dedicate more time, you can become a peer buddy and spend one-on-one time with a student who has developmental or physical disabilities. If joining the club altogether isn’t what you’re interested in, you can always come out to our fundraisers and join in on our pledges.”