The Best Buddies club is throwing their end of year prom— which will be in the Westford Academy courtyard— on Wednesday, May 20. This event is celebrated as a way to commemorate the club’s time with their senior club members and to give thanks to teachers who helped with the club.
Along with this being the prom for the Best Buddies club, it is also combined with the Unified Track banquet and will be sponsored by Evviva Trattoria. There will be gifts for the buddies as well as for the seniors as a sort of final gathering before the summer.
“It’s just a kind of send off before the summer, and [is] basically all [of us] getting together and having a kind of prom setting that is friendly for our buddies,” Best Buddies vice president Amelia Brown said.
Along with the prom, awards will be given out to the buddies as well as speeches given to the senior buddies and the senior officers.
“Each buddy receives a personalized award highlighting a specific area where they shined brightest this year,” junior officer and sophomore Addison Hale said. “It is a huge moment for us to recognize their growth and celebrate their achievements in front of everyone.”
The Best Buddies mission is to be as inclusive as possible. They hope that this event will help carry out their goals and be a joyful night for all who attend.
“To us, true inclusion means ensuring every single person walks into the room knowing they are completely wanted, valued, and loved,” Hale said. “We try to have the evening be fun and accessible to everyone, where nobody is ever left sitting on the sidelines or feeling left out.”
The prom will consist of a plethora of decorations, posters, and a DJ. There will also be yard games if the weather is nice. However, if the weather is gloomy, then the prom will be moved to the cafeteria.
Some opportunities that club members have for helping with the prom set-up would be attending the meetings and making invitations to give to the teachers that are invited.
“A bigger crowd means higher energy, more social connections, and a much more memorable night for our buddies. Beyond prom the absolute best way to get involved is simply by connecting with a buddy at any point in time,” Hale said. “Real inclusion happens through everyday interactions, and any student can make a massive impact just by reaching out and building a genuine friendship.”
However, this event has not gone without its challenges.
“The biggest challenge [in] planning the prom is just trying to see everyone’s commitment level to Best Buddies,” senior and Best Buddies president Eliana Donaruma said. “With big events we often see people who are enrolled in Best Buddies but only go to big events. So just seeing who decided to come.”
Similarly, if the dance is able to carry out the mission, the advisors hope to bring it back next year and make it a larger event with more attendees.
“If this prom is successful, our goal for next year is to make it even bigger and bring in more students from the community,” Hale said. “We want to expand our outreach so that more buddies and peers can connect, ensuring that the message of inclusion continues to grow across the entire school.”
