AVON, Connecticut — Within the walls of Avon High School there lies a small club making a huge difference.
The Best Buddies is a club dedicated to creating more opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Leah Cuyler, one of the clubs co- presidents says, “In Best Buddies we bring together people of all abilities and we do really fun things together as a group. We meet usually on friday mornings and we'll do a little get to know you activity or we'll do like a trivia contest. Today we are decorating cookies which has been super fun. It's just super fun. We get together as a group, make friends.”
The club was started by two students last year and it has grown to be a popular club with many members who want to be a part of this inclusive community. Tessa Robertson, a best buddies club member says,
“Being a part of Best Buddies is great, it really makes me feel like I'm a part of something bigger than just myself. I can really outreach to different parts of my community and my school and I can get to know different people who I might not have connected with before.”
Kathleen Fisher, the Best buddies club advisor says, “Best Buddies is a non-profit international organization in Connecticut that has thirty-two chapters, there are over 400 public high schools and there are only thirty-two best buddy chapters.”
Schools can start their own Best Buddies branch by visiting the website and nominating their school. The Best Buddies club can be used to do many fun activities that everyone enjoys.
Ally Bishop, club president says, “Being a part of this community makes me feel so great, it's so inclusive and I've made so many friends.”
Here at Avon High, so many students love having the Best Buddies club. If you're looking to be a part of a spectacular community like this be sure to check out the Best Buddies website to get involved.
The FOX 61 Student News program empowers Connecticut middle and high school students to explore the world of multi-media journalism by giving them the opportunity to capture, edit and publish original content under the guidance of industry professionals.
Each student produced and hosted segment will showcase a local story or event, highlighting all that is great about our state. Segments will be featured on-air during Friday's Morning News at 7:45 a.m., 5:45 p.m. and 10:45 p.m. news and during the FOX61 Morning News on Saturday at 7 a.m., and right here on FOX61.com!
Stay tuned and keep an eye out for the next news star! If your school would like to get involved learn more here or email us at studentnews@fox61.com.
Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.