It’s November and the season of giving thanks, and Fisher’s Best Buddies Club embraced the nature of the turkey holiday by spending time together with food, bingo and dancing.

These activities are a great way for Fisher’s Best Buddies club to engage and connect with young men and women with intellectual and developmental disabilities, or IDDs. According to Shawn, a young man with an IDD, “It’s delightful”. 

Best Buddies is a club that brings in young men and women with intellectual and developmental disabilities to spend time with our students at Fisher. Not only do participants enjoy it, but it’s also a great time for everyone involved when the club meets. 

Sophomore board member Camryn Parmen offered another perspective on what the club means to her. According to Parmen, “Best Buddies promotes inclusion, welcomes disabilities, and brings people together.” This gathering was a Thanksgiving celebration with food, drinks and activities.

Best Buddies has more than 65 members, according to club president Shayla Levine. She explained that they build community by assigning members to a new “group” every month. By shuffling groups, members meet new people each month, and the club stays tightly knit. According to Levine, “it makes sure everybody knows each other.” Groups were shuffled shortly after the event started. 

Best Buddies member Isaac Turenne is a fan favorite among the club, with people running up to greet him with high-fives and fist bumps. Turenne said, “I feel like people come into this thinking they need to act a certain way or act differently. I don’t have that mindset.” 

The Best Buddies Thanksgiving event seemed to be a fun time for their members, and they will be celebrating Christmas on December 4th for their next event.