The City High chapter of Best Buddies has always been a source of pride for the City High community, and the first few months of 2012 have proved no different; several successful events have already transpired this year and several more are planned for the near future.

“We had our super rocking Valentine’s Dance in February, and the state supervisors, as well as West High, Kennedy, and Linn Mar chapters came which was awesome!” Francesca Crutchfield-Stoker ‘12, president of City High Best Buddies, said. “We will also be having the spring formal dance on March 24th, and that should be a lot of fun; that morning we will also do the Polar Plunge!”

Best Buddies was established in 1989 to “establish a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” according to the group’s website. To follow through with that mission the Spread the Word to End the Word campaign was started in 2009 in an attempt to encourage people to stop the use of the word ‘retard.’

“March is national Spread the Word to End the Word month,” Crutchfield-Stoker said. “The ‘r-word’ is super offensive and hurtful to people with disabilities and so March is a month of acceptance and inclusion.”

Acceptance and inclusion are two of the goals of the Best Buddies program, which shows no signs of slowing down, as seen in their always busy schedule. As usual, City High Best Buddies is working hard and bringing change to the community.