How do Best Buddies Hawaii schools beat the back-to-school blues?  With a celebration of friendship!

This September, two of Maui’s high school Best Buddies chapters held their third Matching Party since Best Buddies started in Hawaii in 2008. A five-star catered lunch and creamy ice cream set the scene for the celebrations.

Maui High School Special Ed Advisors Vera McCabe-Silva and Sharon Kearney came up with a clever and unique idea to get participants together. Bracelets of different colors were given out to all Best Buddies participants. When each student had a bracelet, the group was asked to search for the person wearing a matching bracelet – their new Best Buddy! 

At Baldwin High School’s Match Party, Best Buddies Program Manager, Danielle Richardson, gave a nice welcoming speech to all the new and old Best Buddies participants, faculty members and friends after lunch was over.  Faculty Advisor and enthusiastic history teacher, Ted Lusk, proceeded to announce the new matches.  As names were called, the participants came up in pairs to receive a Best Buddies certificate presented to them by Baldwin’s principal, Gwen Ueoka. With certificate in hand, each new Buddy Pair had their photo taken. 

Both parties were a success.  Best Buddies participants had a fun time and enjoyed meeting their new Buddies and new friends.