HILLSDALE — As the Hillsdale College academic year ends, so too does the college’s Great Opportunities for Assistance and Leadership Buddy Program, which celebrated its final event on April 24.
The Buddy Program, which is run by volunteer Hillsdale College students, aims to enhance the lives of people with developmental and intellectual disabilities through social opportunities. It does so through weekly volunteering and many special events over the year.
Starting off the year strong with their largest event, the program hosted the Buddy Olympics on Sept. 16. Members of the special needs community, ages 8 and older, had the opportunity to play outdoor games, spend time making friends and celebrate the day with a pizza party.
“The Buddy Olympics are one of my favorite events of the year,” said Rachel Moeller, student director of the Hillsdale Buddy Program. “It is so much fun hosting these games and getting to see the joyfulness of our friends in the special needs community. We are so grateful to all of the volunteers who help bring this event to life.”
Holidays are also a special part of the year for the Hillsdale Buddy Program. The Halloween, Christmas and Valentine’s Day parties are fun-filled events with pizza, games and cupcakes to celebrate the occasion.
“Holidays on campus are a whole lot more fun when we get to celebrate with the Buddy Program,” said Moeller. “Spending time playing games and fostering friendships with the Buddies is always the highlight of my week.”
Creativity and art are two aspects of service that guide the Buddy Program’s activities. Throughout the school year, students could volunteer in classrooms assisting with photography, cooking and art at St. Paul’s Ability Resource Center (SPARC). On March 20, the Buddy Program hosted Art is for Everyone, a workshop that teaches students how art can foster friendships and connect with special needs individuals.
The Buddy Program also assisted in hosting two dances. The first was the annual Snowball Dance, which was held in partnership with SPARC on March 2. More recently, the Buddy Program hosted the Starry Night Prom on April 19 in partnership with other Hillsdale College volunteer organizations.
Additionally, this year, the Hillsdale Buddies Program launched an Art Gallery Exhibition displaying the art of the SPARC art students from their classes assisted by Hillsdale students. This was the first year the program has celebrated its special needs community through this event, and it was a great success! Rough Draft hosted the Gallery’s Opening, and many students attended the event along with the buddies partaking of the complimentary charcuterie boards.
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“This was one of my favorite events of the semester,” said Moeller. “This Gallery Exhibit was such a special way of commemorating the hard work of our buddies. I am so thankful to all the Hillsdale Art students who shared their artistic skills and knowledge with the SPARC students, and I look forward to more growth from this aspect of the program.”
Fittingly, the final event of the year was an end-of-year awards ceremony which celebrates the accomplishments of the program’s bowling buddies. Hillsdale Buddies provides the opportunity for its buddies to bowl weekly at the local bowling alley and for volunteers from the college to cheer them on each week. This end of the year awards ceremony celebrates their accomplishments for the entire year with pizza, games, and trophies. This is the program’s last event of the year, and they try to end things with a bang!
“We did a lot this year,” said Moeller. “But all our hard work edifies the special needs community of Hillsdale, so it is always well worth it!”
— Contact Reporter Corey Murray atcmurray@hillsdale.net or follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @cmurrayHDN.
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