For some, WA’s Best Buddies club is the ideal way to connect with others and to make friends. For others, it is their way of assisting people and giving back to the community. Regardless of why one joins Best Buddies, the club brings feelings of happiness and belonging to all. This March, the students and staff behind the club are hosting their annual Best Buddies dance party to share their sense of community with the rest of the school.
On March 12, 2025, Best Buddies will be hosting a school-wide dance after school from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the WA upper cafeteria. Tickets are being sold through MySchoolBucks and at the door for 5 dollars each.
Provided by Brown.
The two students spearheading the effort to host the dance are junior officers; junior Eliana Donaruma and sophomore Amelia Brown, guided by the senior leaders of the club, including president Laney Mach and vice president Leah Bordenca.
“I think our student leaders are awesome,” special education teacher and club co-advisor John DiGennaro said. “They’re so dedicated and passionate about what they’re doing, and we feed off of that energy and vibe.”
Provided by Brown.
Brown and Donaruma offered to take the reins of hosting out of the seniors’ hands to lighten the seniors’ workload. This would also allow Brown and Donaruma to gain leadership experience for themselves in preparation for the next few years without the seniors.
“I looked up to the older leaders and saw how their kindness created such a positive community for not only the buddies but for all the club members involved. I want to continue on the legacy they’ve built and use my passion to help the club sustain those qualities,” Brown said.
The Best Buddies dance has been notoriously unique compared to other dances WA student organizations have hosted. For one, it occurs after school rather than later in the day and usually is not as large. Therefore, according to DiGennaro, it typically runs more smoothly and does not require as much time for preparation and organization.
Provided by Amelia Brown.
However, there is still plenty of hard work to be done in order for the event to be ready. It included creating a flyer, reserving the cafeteria, budgeting for the expenses of decorations and food, and finally, advertising the dance itself.
“Taking on commitments like this are almost like taking on another class,” Brown said. “But even though it was a lot of work, it’s something I really care about, so it made it feel easy.”
One potential concern for the dance could have been the decrease in student turnout, especially with the postponing of the SADD winter semi-formal due to low ticket sales. However, according to the student leaders, the main focus of the event is to make sure that the buddies–the students with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDDs)–and their partners have fun.
“It’s more about the buddies getting a good experience and getting to spend time with friends,” Brown said. “In the end, that’s what really matters.”
