CHESTERTOWN, MD––The Washington College chapter of Best Buddies, which works with intellectually and developmentally disabled individuals, was named the Best Buddies Maryland College Chapter of the Year at a recent ceremony at Towson University. It will now be considered for International College Chapter of the Year, which will be presented this July at a conference at Indiana University. 

Best Buddies officers and members put in countless hours behind the scenes to host events where they can bond with their buddies and develop meaningful friendships.  The statewide honor was a prized bonus to the satisfaction members get from their participation. “Winning Chapter of the Year for Maryland is an amazing experience,” said  chapter president Cicily Strong ’16. “We could not have done it without all of our committed members and buddies.” Club Secretary Tess Garrity ’17 stressed that the ultimate goal has always been to spread the message of acceptance across the WAC community.  “The success of this club really deserved to be recognized, and I am so happy that Best Buddies Maryland did just that!” she added.

The Best Buddies program was founded in 1989 by Anthony Kennedy Shriver to foster complete inclusion of intellectually and developmentally disabled (IDD) individuals in society. The collegiate program promotes one-to-one friendships, pairing one college member with one IDD member of the community, holding rallies to raise awareness about the destructive power of the “R Word,” and encouraging businesses to hire IDD individuals. 

Best Buddies is a popular club at Washington College, where members planning twice-monthly activities they can enjoy with their buddies, such as bowling, dance parties, talent shows, a fall festival, and more. Last fall, the students and their buddies even attended a Baltimore Ravens football game and were recognized on the field as part of the team’s Honor Rows Program.  

For more information, contact President Cicily Strong (cstrong2@washcoll.edu).

-Graylin Hughes ’16