This past Friday, the Bloomington South Best Buddies club hosted a gift wrapping pop-up shop at the College Mall to collect donations for the club. Junior and President Sophia Kinghorn explained that the mall was the perfect spot to have the event. “It gives Best Buddies great promotion because there are lots of people at the mall, so everyone will see us and hopefully get some gifts wrapped,” Kinghorn said.
Best Buddies is an international organization that aims to create friendship opportunities in the lives of kids and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The South chapter aims to do the very same thing, incorporating students in special-ed classes with others by planning fun events like Thanksgiving arts and crafts and group trips to girls basketball games.
Before she was a South student, Kinghorn was a member of the Best Buddies chapter at Jackson Creek Middle School. She said that she never imagined that she would be the president of the club. “I was interested in the club and joined in the seventh grade, and I’ve just loved doing it ever since,” Kinghorn said.
If you want to become a part of Best Buddies, Kinghorn says new members are always welcome. “You should join Best Buddies because it’s a blast! You get to make friends, and who doesn’t want to make a friend?” Kinghorn said.
Club member Brandon Queen enjoys the Best Buddies program because it gives him a chance to “hang out with friends and meet new people.”
Junior Malakai Brikey agreed, describing the club as “awesome, spectacular, and amazing.”
If you are interested in attending the next Best Buddies event, the group is holding its annual Holiday Party that will include a gift exchange, cake walk, and cookie decoration on Dec. 16. For more information, contact club President Sophia Kinghorn or Club Sponsor Lacy Kantor
