80 Delegates From Wisconsin Attend 28th Annual Best Buddies Leadership Conference
July 21 through July 24, 2017 was the 28th Annual Best Buddies Leadership Conference (BBLC) in Bloomington, Indiana. Students spent the weekend on campus at Indiana University sharing ideas with other young leaders from around the world, attending workshops to strengthen their leadership skills, and learning more about the mission of Best Buddies.
Best Buddies Wisconsin was well represented by 80 attendees, ranging from students across the state, volunteers who helped make the weekend a success, and a number of valued Wisconsin Board Members and staff. BBLC brings together almost 3,000 Best Buddies participants from around the world who spend the weekend building connections and creating friendships.
While the entire Conference is sure to be packed with exciting activities for everyone to enjoy, the opening and closing ceremonies held on Friday and Sunday are the two must see events. These ceremonies typically include appearances from special guests such as Anthony Kennedy Shriver, the founder of Best Buddies, or Lauren Potter from Glee, as well as performances and speeches from student leaders or Ambassadors, and fashion shows with the latest Best Buddies merchandise. No matter what, at the end of the night, the crowd is guaranteed to be on their feet cheering!
As someone who has previously gone to BBLC as a high school participant, I can say that being in the auditorium with 3,000 people who love Best Buddies as much as you do is unlike any other experience. Seeing all of the excitement that these young leaders show throughout the weekend makes you want to run home and tell everyone about Best Buddies. It was so incredible to see how kind and compassionate students truly are.
As the current Best Buddies Wisconsin Intern, I was fortunate enough to have been able to see BBLC through a different perspective this year. I really enjoyed working with the high school attendees and learning more about their chapters. I loved hearing their creative ideas for the new school year and I thought they were sharing some really great ideas with each other. All of our attendees had wonderful personalities and bright futures, and with leaders like them, I have no doubt that Best Buddies is in good hands with our young leaders!
