BBCT Walk Book

Keep You #INCLUSION FAN GOING!

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APRIL 24 – 25, 2021

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THROUGHOUT CONNECTICUT

Best Buddies International is the world’s largest organization dedicated to ending the social, physical and economic isolation of the 200 million people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Our programs empower the special abilities of people with IDD by helping them form meaningful friendships with their peers, secure successful jobs, live independently, improve public speaking, selfadvocacy and communication skills, and feel valued by society.

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The Best Buddies Friendship Walk is the leading walk in the country supporting inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (also known as IDD).

Join 40,000 walkers across the country to support the Best Buddies programs in your schools, workplaces and communities. You’ll be making the world more welcoming to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities – one friendship, one job, and one life-changing connection at a time.

2021 Walk Weekend is set for Saturday, April 24-Sunday, April 25th and will consist of two experiences: Art Experience: This will be hosted in the parking lot at Staples H.S. in Westport, CT on Saturday, April 24th starting at 10:00 am.

Sole Experience: With this Neighborhood Mini-Walk option, create a team and walk from the comfort of your own neighborhood during walk weekend.

Abby is a Buddy Ambassador. Abby hand writes our thank you letters to donors and sponsors! She writes letters to our Best Buddies Friendship supporters like this one:

e t a i c e r p p a I . t u c i t c e n n o C s e i d d u B t s e s B t n g e n i v t r e o d l p o p h u s n r a o c f s u e o i y d d k u n a B t s Th e B , n u u o f y r f e o h t e o s u d a n c a e , s B e ! s h s c a u l c m e o c n a d you s , s t h o g i d n n a a i c v i r e t , w s l l e i t s t s i a a l c w t g ’ n n i a k c o I . w o h like Co s c i I g a e s m u e a h c t e d b e s k i k l l a y l l W a p e i r h I s . s d n e e i r F g activiti n i o d e e n v o o l s I i ! h t n o h s g r u e o p h t n i n s e g v n i E . h t s d n e i r f these y m d n a s e i d d u b r e h t o e e . s n o u t f t e b ge l l i t s l l i w t i , l a u t r i v r o s r a c n i e will b . n i a g a u o y Thank Your friend,

Abby

Best Buddies Ambassadors is a program that provides training for participants with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in areas of speech writing, public speaking, and self-advocacy.

Ambassadors develop the skills to professionally share their life stories, promote Best Buddies programs, network, and most importantly, advocate. The Ambassadors program prepares people to become active agents of change and informed, engaging advocates for the disability rights movement.

Here is a letter from our Buddy Ambassador Paul:

day! o t e r e h e ed to b t i c x e d n a happy y r e v m a I ies! nd d a d l u u B a t P s s i e e I love B , y a s Hi, my nam u o y r me hea t e l , o o t d excite d n a s with d y n p e p i r a f h g e n r i like be If you a I . p i h s d n e fri hapter c s i e s h e t i d n d e u e has b Best B e t h u s o s b a a t g r n a o nds as l e i The best p r f n e e b have e W . l e h c a R ut at o . g n r n e a t h s a e E t e and w s u o h president a y m to riends. f n t e a e e b r g s l a l i h t e are s er. She w b , m d e e t m a y u l i d a fam he gra s h g u o h t She is like ts. Even n e v e r o f Eastern o me. t r miss e t I s . i s n o a s r e e k i l p She is nds in e i r f y m g n talking eei d s n s a i s g e n i i l i d a d est Bu ng, em i B t x t e u riend’s t f o n y b e a m e e e b v e o e s l v I o What appy t out. I ha h g o n s i g e n m a h s nd . It make s d n e the hugs a i r f y with m e n o h p e on th lity a u q t a e . r g m oo That is a . y l i faces on Z m y to a f p y p a m h d t n s a u j e for m ds are n e r e i e r h F t . n d e o e o s are g d always b n s e i a r h F l . l e u h f c Ra re help a s d n e i r F in a friend. her. t o h c a e sta and h a t i p w e k e i l m i d t o spend king fo a M . k o o vorite c a f s i y s M d . n s e i d r ith frien o with f w d e o t k a e b k i l o I t s so like l a I . e Some thing g a b nd cab kies. a o f o e c e p b i h d c e corn ocolate h c avorite f e r y a M e . k s a e i b d st Bud e things to B dy o d t u k b c a w b e n g n y i is gett with m o d t e d h r c t a a w r m o oking f it to be a o l w t m a o I n t n a a Wh arty. I c p h c t a m e ted. a u event is th d py, a p r a g h s e a b h l o t e ach uld be o w m e now that R h t vice to d a y M . s d new frien t e e m o t d I am excite ealthy. h e b d n a soon. u o y be good e e s ope to h I . d n e i r f a good g n i e b r o f Thank you

Paul

A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR ADVISORY BOARD THAT WORKS SO HARD TO SPREAD OUR MISSION OF INCLUSION HERE IN CONNECTICUT EVERYDAY.

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR PARTNERS!

A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO MR. MALKOLM HARRIS OUR PHOTOGRAPHER @1PERCENT PHOTOGRAPHY

2021 ART & SOLE BEST BUDDIES FRIENDSHIP WALK COMMITTEE MEMBERS Walk Chair: Nancy Meyer Logistics Chair: Stephanie Berman Retention Co-Chairs: Denise Rose | Nick Rose Mission Co-Chairs: Brooklyn Mastracchio | Margo Meley Volunteer Chair: Debbie Lavigne Members: Valerie Strange | Zyrene Adao

Al Recchia – is thrilled to be joining us today as the Master of Ceremonies for our Best Buddies Art & Sole Friendship Walk!

Al began his acting career at the age of 6, when he was cast as Santa Claus in his first grade Christmas play, and hasn’t stopped performing since!

He counts among his favorite stage roles Lenny Ganz in Rumors, Julian Marsh in 42nd Street, Bruce in Beyond Therapy, Charles Condomine in Blithe Spirit, P.T. Barnum in Barnum, Sylvia St. Croix in Ruthless, Carroll Todd in Victor/Victoria, Willy Wonka in Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, Noble Eggleston in Little Me, Reverend Mother in Nunsense A-Men, and Dr. Morris Ritz in The Grass Harp, for which he won the Square One Theater Subscribers Award for Outstanding Featured Actor.

MEET AL RECCHIA

As a choreographer, he has created the steps for Anything Goes, The Sound Of Music, Mame, Guys & Dolls, L’il Abner, and The Boyfriend.

Al is the current President of The Wilton PlayShop. Later this year, he will be directing and choreographing Irving Berlin’s White Christmas for CenterStage in Shelton.

Thank you all for joining us!

BEST BUDDIES FRIENDSHIP WALK IN THE NEWS Best Buddies Friendship Walk was featured on CT LIVE! on March 19, 2021 Click on the image to watch the recording on the NBC website or go to nbcconnecticut.com/entertainment/ ct-live/ct-live-best-buddiesfriendship-walk/2448724/

MISSION MOVERS AWARDS

GOING THE EXTRA MILE FOR BEST BUDDIES. Mission Movers are our champions for inclusion! These individuals believe in the Best Buddies mission and are laying the foundation for transformative change in their communities.

TOP INDIVIDUAL FUNDRAISER:

ABBY MEYER

TOP FUNDRAISING TEAM:

STANLEY BLACK & DECKER ROOKIE TEAM:

NICOLE COURT CREW HIGHEST % OVER LAST YEAR:

STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL

A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR VOLUNTEERS FROM THE SETTING UP OF EACH STATION, TO CARRYING TABLES AND CHAIRS TO YOUR PERFORMANCES, YOU TRULY MADE THE ART EXPERIENCE A DAY TO REMEMBER!

BEST BUDDIES STORIES FRIENDSHIP WALK BACKDROP Woodland High School’s Art Peer Buddies Class worked with our art teacher, Mrs. Seagren, during class to create a backdrop for the Best Buddies Friendship Walk on April 24. One of the buddies allowed us to trace her on the backdrop and with the assistance of the peers the buddies painted the backdrop. This took us most of March during art lass to complete. Thank you Mrs. Seagren for allowing us to work on this during art class and supporting the best buddies’ mission.

WITH SPLATZ™ KIDS BEG TO WASH THEIR HANDS.

ECO FRIENDLY HAND SOAP • SQUEEZE & SPLAT! • DEVELOPED BY MIT SCIENTISTS

BEST BUDDIES STORIES MEET ZOE & LINDSAY Hi, we’re Zoe and Lindsay, a buddy pair from Pomperaug High School in Pomperaug, Connecticut. Our chapter is pretty new, as we’re in our second year of having a chapter and things are already looking very different than when we first started. Over the past year, things have been crazy due to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the amount of snow we got during the winter months. This has resulted in us looking at how to see each other and get together in very different ways which we never thought we would have to do. Things like meeting through online video chats to see everyone and to communicate regularly have become a new way of keeping in touch on a daily basis, as well as seeing the chapter as a whole. We miss being able to hang out together as often as we used to, but we know we will get back to that one day soon!

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BEST BUDDIES STORIES MEET ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER ANDREW WHITE Hello! My name is Andrew White, and I have been involved with Best Buddies since my freshman year in high school. In living with an autism spectrum disorder myself, I have had the firsthand experience with intellectual and developmental disabilities throughout my life.

I joined Best Buddies as a freshman at Southington High School.

That year, I became buddies with Tom Snow, my friend from Boy Scouts, who had recruited me to join Best Buddies at the school’s Activity Fair. Since then, I have enjoyed participating in Best Buddies activities and serving in the Best Buddies community. As a sophomore, I was appointed Buddy Director for my high school’s chapter...

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The Best Buddies Leadership Conference (BBLC) is an annual event held each summer to inspire thousands of leaders to be Best Buddies advocates and to bring about social change in their communities.

BBLC is a once in a lifetime experience that unites Best Buddies leaders, volunteers, and community advocates from around the globe.

Traditionally held as an in-person convening, the 2020 Best Buddies Leadership Conference transitioned into an online experience with great success. Building on this experience the 2021 Best Buddies Leadership Conference will also be held virtually.

JULY 13–15, 2021

SAVE THE DATE!

MORE REASONS TO SAVE THE DATE! AMBASSADOR TRAINING

Sunday, May 2nd 9:00 am – 11:00 am Become an Ambassador! Learn speech writing, public speaking, and self-advocacy so you can share your story and promote the Best Buddies Mission.

Volunteers Wanted! Peer Buddies can also sign up to become Speech Coaches! Speech Coaches help our Ambassadors brainstorm, write and practice their speeches during the training session.

LOCAL LEADERSHIP TRAINING DAY

Coming this fall LLTD is where we will get you ready for a successful spring semester with Best Buddies. We’ll review best practices, share ideas, and get you energized and inspired to ignite inclusion in your school and local communities! You’ll get to reconnect with student leaders from our school chapters all over the state, and meet new friends as well. The focus of this training will be on how to keep your members engaged and actively participating in our upcoming events, and getting into specifics about event planning.

FRIENDSHIP BALL

Coming this fall The Ball is the equivalence of prom. We celebrate friendship with an opportunity to show off some rockin’ dance moves!

COMING THIS FALL

SAVE THE DATE!

2 2 20 SPRING 2022

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THROUGHOUT CONNECTICUT

For all event related inquiries, please contact: Lynn Simon at LynnSimon@bestbuddies.org 203-234-3996

Best Buddies in Connecticut 1224 Mill Street, Building B, East Berlin, CT 06023

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING US!

Sole

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