Fall games, shared laughter, and new friendships brought students together at Cardinal Newman’s first Best Buddies Fall Festival on October 22.
CNHS’s Best Buddies Club is part of an international program that builds friendships between students with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities. Through shared activities, the club creates opportunities for connection, acceptance, and inclusion.
The festival welcomed 12 students from Bodwell Academy, a charter school operated by The Arc of Palm Beach County in Riviera Beach that serves students with disabilities. More than 100 Cardinal Newman students volunteered throughout the event.
“I was overwhelmed by the turnout and by how engaged our students were to ensure our friends from Bodwell were having a great time. Seeing the students smile, cheer each other on, and go out of their way to make sure everyone was included was an incredible experience,” said Dawn Stricklin, Best Buddies Club moderator and Cardinal Newman’s ESE Coordinator and Testing Coordinator.
Students connected over fall-themed crafts, coloring, board games, mini golf, cornhole, spikeball, gaga ball, basketball, and jumbo Connect 4. Music, cookies, and snacks added to the festive atmosphere. Bodwell students also brought handmade thank-you cards, which they shared with their Cardinal Newman hosts upon arriving.
President Andreena Saint-Isert, Vice President Elizabeth Allaga, and Secretary Alexa Joseph are building on the foundation established by former president and chapter founder Blake Quilleon while developing new activities to expand participation.
The festival fulfilled the club’s goal of adding a major fall gathering to its calendar of holiday parties, the Best Buddies Friendship Walk, and the Best Buddies Prom.
With positive feedback from both school communities, Stricklin hopes the festival will become an annual tradition and inspire more students to build friendships that extend beyond a single afternoon.
