On a beautiful summer day, June 10th, Manthey Park buzzed with excitement for the 2nd Annual Owatonna Best Buddies Summer Picnic hosted by Best Buddies in Minnesota staff and community leaders. More than 200 Best Buddies members and their families from the five Owatonna school chapters and community adult friendship program gathered for an evening of friendship, connection and fun. This event was made possible by the generous support of Federated Insurance and their commitment to making the Owatonna community an inclusive place for all to live and work.

This year’s attendance nearly doubled last year’s, a powerful testament to the growing impact of the Best Buddies programs in Owatonna. This incredible turnout clearly shows that our community-wide approach is creating even more opportunities for friendships to blossom between individuals with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities at all stages of life.

Washington Elementary School Advisor, Molly Dickerson, shared a heartwarming example of this growing connection:

“I love hearing from families, especially when the buddy families are reaching out to our friends with IDD. One parent told me that her son’s buddy’s mom texted her and said, ‘Remember about the picnic tonight! We’ll see you there!’ which she really appreciated as she thought the picnic was the following day. This is what it’s all about, right? These connections extend beyond the classroom. Families taking the initiative to hang out whenever they want AND families building awareness on what inclusion looks like…it’s not hard! And if I were to mention how inclusive they are being, I know they’d just say, ‘Oh, we just want to hang out with our buddy.'”

Attendees enjoyed pizza generously donated by Taste of the Big Apple, a local spot in town, along with chips, drinks, and cookies. Buddy pairs were seen drawing chalk pictures, playing with the parachute, coloring, and making rainbow loom bracelets together. One new family shared how excited they were to discover that the Best Buddies program is active in five out of the six schools in the district, meaning their child would have the opportunity to participate throughout their school career.

“It’s so exciting to see Best Buddies in Owatonna grow from one club at the middle school with approximately 10 participants to six chapters in our community with hundreds of participants. It was heartwarming to see such a great turnout and we were blessed with such a beautiful day,” shared Owatonna Middle School Advisor, Bridget Gilmorini.

“It’s been wonderful to experience the success of the Best Buddies program at McKinley Elementary School. Embracing inclusion and fostering friendships between students with disabilities and those who learn at typical rates is so important in creating a supportive school environment. The willingness of general education students to participate and promote inclusion shows a strong sense of community and empathy. Exciting times lie ahead for all students as they continue to grow and learn from each other,” shared McKinley Elementary School Advisor, Lynn Jensen.

The Owatonna Best Buddies Summer Picnic was a success, not only in its impressive growth in attendance but also in the spirit of inclusion and friendship that filled the park. It served as a powerful reminder of the deep connections formed through Best Buddies programs and the vibrant, inclusive community flourishing in Owatonna. A heartfelt thank you goes out to all the families, volunteers, and supporters who made this event possible.