Eastern Michigan University’s Best Buddies student chapter will hold the 18th annual Best Buddies Ball March 14 in the Student Center Ballroom.
The ball will be “Under the Sea” themed. Attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy music, appetizers and cake and make crafts.
“We encourage people to dress up to match the theme ‘Under the Sea.’ It’s a fun, non-threatening event,” said co-coordinator Joy Chaveriat, vice president of Best Buddies, in a statement.
Best Buddies from the University of Michigan have been invited to the dance. Best Buddies Ball is open to all students on EMU’s campus.
“We strive to re-create the prom-like feeling for our buddies because some of them didn’t have the opportunities to attend a prom,” said co-coordinator Megan Hoorn, president of Best Buddies, in a statement.
EMU students in the program are paired with buddies 18 years and older from the Ypsilanti/Ann Arbor area with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The chapter currently pairs about 50 students with 50 buddies.
“It’s a way to be inclusive to people with intellectual disabilities,” Chaveriat said. “This is a good way to come to see what [Best Buddies] is about.”
They communicate at least once a week and meet face to face at least twice a month. The pairs can participate in monthly activities coordinated by volunteers.
Best Buddies is an international nonprofit organization that offers participants friendship, leadership and job opportunities.
For more information on the event, contact Chaveriat at 231-838-8361 or at vis_bestbuddies@emich.edu. For more information on the Best Buddies program, contact the VISION Volunteer Center at 734-487-1313 or at vision@emich.edu.
