Special-needs students perform in high school talent show

by Eric Yutzy from Local 10:
MIAMI -

They may be out of tune, but these best friends are not out of place.

Howard Rouse and Matthew Fernandez are in Best Buddies, a club at Southwest Miami High School that connects students with and without special needs.

Howard has Down Syndrome. Matthew has Howard, and high school hallways are always better with an ally.

"When you go into the cafeteria you see people with Down syndrome and disabilities sitting with jocks and cheerleaders," said Fernandez. "It's a beautiful sight."

Spread the Word to End the Word Video

This video was created by the Treasure Valley Down Syndrome Association in support of the Spread the Word to End the Word campaign, an on-going initiative from Special Olympics and Best Buddies to eradicate the derogatory use of the word "retard(ed)" from everyday use and promote the inclusion and acceptance of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Five siblings of individuals with Down syndrome in Idaho's Treasure Valley volunteered to help us spread the word that their brother or sister with Down syndrome is not defined by their disability. A big thanks to all those who helped us create this video by starring in it: Therese and Liam Murphy; Gabriela, Christopher and Mikaela Olmos; Tess and Isabelle Scott; Tegan and Madison Maestretti; and Austin Schaffer and Aaden Vranish. And a HUGE thank you to Sara Cox for producing the video, Alex Post who scored the original music, and our amazing videographer who volunteered his time to create this for us, Zach Johnson. Help us spread a message of acceptance and speak out against the r-word! idahodownsyndrome.org

Holiday Video from Best Buddies

from Best Buddies: 

Watch Anthony & Jorge in "The Gift of Friendship," on YouTube

 
As we reach the end of another year and look forward to the warmth and love of the holidays, we want to take a moment to thank you for all you have done for Best Buddies.

Despite a sputtering economy and so many competing human needs, our loyal friends continue to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) through Best Buddies’ friendship programs on campuses throughout the world.

Our Jobs program is continuing to grow and provide meaningful employment for people with IDD, while the Ambassadors program is furthering the support of their leadership and self-advocacy trainings.

This year, we were blessed to have more riders at our cycling events, more student volunteers participating in our walks, and more supporters coming to our events across the country and the world.

However, there are still so many more people with special needs we have yet to reach who are isolated, excluded, bullied and unemployed. I am heartened when I receive emails from student volunteers like Will Macon at our Vanderbilt University chapter.

Last week, I called Will to thank him for his outstanding work for Best Buddies, and he replied, saying, “Best Buddies has shaped my life, and that’s more amazing than any word of mine can adequately express. I idolize the work you do and the organization you’ve built. It has been, is, and will be the brightest light in my life for as long as I live.”

During this wonderful season, as you think about gifts for your loved ones, please consider giving the gift of friendship and jobs to our special friends by visiting www.bestbuddies.org/donate.

As a funny gift to you, my buddy Jorge and I filmed a short video that illustrates the true meaning of the holidays. Visit our YouTube page or click on the image below to watch. And thank you again for all you do for Best Buddies. I wish you and your family a blessed and happy holiday.

In Friendship,
Anthony K. Shriver
Founder and Chairman

The mission of Best Buddies is to establish a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
© 2012 Best Buddies International

breakfast & run fundraiser showcases its participants

WMDT 47 News - Delmarva's Choice

by Natalie Costello from WMDT 47 News:
Sunday, two Delaware organizations, the Boardwalk Buddy Walk and Best Buddies Delaware teamed up to host the first annual Dewey Beach 5K Run and Pancake Breakfast.

People came from near and far to show their support for The Best Buddies Delaware. The event was held to raise funds and educate others about the importance of providing enriching programs for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

"I truly believe in the organization of Best Buddies, it's brought so many kids at the High School together. It's friendships that last a lifetime," says Pam Johnson. Johnson is the advisor for Dover High School's Best Buddy Program.

Dennis Diehl, founder of Boardwalk Buddy Walk, works closely with students at Chimes, a Delaware organization that provides vocational and other types opportunities for people with disabilities.

Dennis is proud of all his students, especially Eddie Drake who is studying culinary arts.

"It makes my day, I come and watch these guys come in and out of the kitchen, it gives them such an appreciation that they are doing something meaningful... and watching Eddie smile. He makes me laugh all the time. It's a great day when Eddie shows up to work," says Dennis.

And Dennis was right, you can't help but smile when you are around Eddie. When asked what his favorite part was about cooking, he quickly replied, "Um...Spaghetti!"

And for high school senior Andrew Granda, a Best Buddies participant and avid cross country runner, it was today's 5K event that brings a smile to his face. ""I've been in a lot of 5K's, in fact, I've done cross county for three years and I am going to do it for my last year."

Sunday's fundraiser was more than just a 5K and pancake breakfast, it was a chance for Best Buddies Delaware to showcase some of the amazing talents and personalities of their participants.

A fight to make friends

 

Walk raises money for a statewide peer program

By Molly A.K. Connors from the Concord Monitor:

For the last 10 years, it's been easy enough for Susan Zimmermann's son, Oliver, to play with kids his age, even if they don't have Down syndrome like he does.
But in two years Oliver will be in middle school. By then, Zimmermann said, Oliver's condition will make it a little harder for him to keep up with his peers. There's the risk he could become lonesome and socially isolated.
"It's sad, but it's what happens," Zimmermann said in an interview yesterday.
She wanted to get Oliver involved in Best Buddies, a charitable nonprofit that pairs intellectually and developmentally disabled people with peers who have similar interests.
But New Hampshire doesn't have a statewide Best Buddies program - there are three chapters, but their presence is limited and the volunteers depend on staffers in Massachusetts.
So about a year ago, Zimmermann and her friend Sarra Dennehy, whose son is also 10, has Down syndrome and attends Concord schools, decided to start one.
They formed a board of directors and set out to raise $250,000, the amount Best Buddies International requires to establish a state office staffed with a director and program managers. Those people, in turn, bring Best Buddies chapters to schools across the state.
Yesterday, about 400 people showed up to help them at the inaugural New Hampshire Best Buddies Friendship Walk, a one-mile loop from the State House through downtown Concord. After the walk, advocates danced to live music, ate barbecue and played with Darcy, a Shetland pony who came from New Boston for the event.
Established by Anthony Shriver in 1989, Best Buddies is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works with nearly 700,000 people with and without disabilities worldwide.
The organization doesn't ask its participants to identify their disability, but one in six children in the United States is diagnosed with a developmental disability, which ranges from mild speech disorders to cerebral palsy and autism, according to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Peter Fleming, 47, of Manchester is one of the many people who said he's looking forward to finding a buddy in New Hampshire.
Fleming said he's already very busy working his job bagging groceries at Stop and Shop and volunteering with the Manchester Lions Club and the governor's commission on disabilities, but he agreed to be on the board of directors of Best Buddies New Hampshire.
Fleming is already part of "e-Buddies," an email pen pal program through Best Buddies International. Several years ago, he just happened to be paired up with Tim Shriver, the CEO of the Special Olympics and son of Eunice Kennedy Shriver.
At least once a week, Fleming said, he and Shriver exchange emails.
"We talk about the Red Sox; we talk about our families," Fleming said. "He's a big Red Sox fan."
Fleming said he got to meet Shriver in Washington, D.C., a few months back and would like a companion closer by, too.
"We can do stuff together," he said.
Taryn Seybold, a 36-year-old emergency room nurse, wants her son Nicholas, 16, to have a buddy, too. He's had a wonderful experience so far with Concord High School's peer-to-peer program, which pairs "typical" students with intellectually and developmentally disabled ones, Seybold said.
But she worries what will happen after Nicholas turns 21 and won't be able to go to school anymore. He has the same dreams as any other teenager, she said: get married, have a family.
She wants him to have a fulfilled life and not have to depend on her for all of his needs.
"Just like any kid, he doesn't want his mom hanging out all the time," Seybold said, walking up South State Street.
Nicholas followed closely behind, arm-in-arm with one of his three "typical" friends from the high school.
Nicholas's friends, who graduated Saturday, said they would volunteer with Best Buddies once it launched in New Hampshire. Sitting in the shade after the walk, they said it's possible they've benefited from the relationship more than Nicholas has.
"He's one of the nicest people I've ever met," Mckenzie Dow, 17, said, right before Nicholas grabbed a Monitor reporter's hand, kissed it and asked for it in marriage.
He uses that line a lot, they said.
Organizers said they've raised $40,000 toward their goal of $250,000. They estimate they raised at least $35,000 yesterday.
A statewide chapter can't come soon enough for Sarra Dennehy, who said it's becoming harder for her son, Liam, who has Down syndrome, to keep up with children in their neighborhood. The kids are kind, she said, but they've gotten bigger and faster and stronger, and Liam just can't hold his own.
"Liam watches all the kids in the neighborhood play," she said. "And it sucks."
If you slow down long enough to let him in your life, she said, you'll be better for it.
"It really opens your eyes to the heart and the soul of people instead of just the exterior," she said.

How to discuss the R-word with others

from r-word.org:

Having a conversation about the r-word can be difficult and often uncomfortable. Use the dialogues and tips below to help you successfully articulate why the r-word is hurtful and harmful in everyday speech.

Dialogue Scenario 1: When a friend/family member uses the r-word
Person 1:       I am such a retard; I forgot to get milk at the grocery store. 
Person 2:       Hey, I would appreciate it if you didn’t use the word retard around me anymore.
Person 1:       Oh don’t worry about it; it’s not a big deal.
Person 2:       It actually is a big deal, when you use retard as a synonym for stupid or idiot, you are saying that all people with intellectual disabilities are stupid, and that’s definitely not true.
Person 1:       But I’m not making fun of people who are mentally retarded, it’s just a figure of speech. It’s how I talk.
Person 2:       The thing is, when you use the R-word as slang, you really are hurting people with intellectual disabilities because of the negative connotation of your comment. The R-word has been associated with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities since its inception, so when you use the word in a negative context, you’re putting down people with intellectual disabilities, regardless of if you mean to or not.  
Person 1:       I appreciate what you’re saying, but it’s imbedded into my vocabulary. I couldn’t stop saying it if I tried. 
Person 2:       I’m not trying to tell you what you can or cannot say, but what I want you to recognize is that people with intellectual disabilities deserve respect, and using another word instead of the R-word is one step towards making them feel respected and valued in society.
Person 1:       Ok, I can understand it might be hurtful to use the word when a person with an intellectual disability is around, but why does it matter now, when I’m just hanging out and joking with my friends?
Person 2:       Using the R-word doesn’t just hurt people with intellectual disabilities, but it also hurt their friends and families. [Discuss personal story about why this is important to you]. Having seen the hurt that the R-word can cause, I know it’s important for me to take a stand and try to change the conversation. I hope you can understand why it hurts and upsets me when the R-word is used and why I would appreciate if you chose another word to use.
Person 1:       I’m sorry; I didn’t realize how much the R-word upset you. I will try to use another word instead.
Person 2:       Thank you for understanding.

Tips for a successful conversation:

• Stay calm and collected, it will not help the other person see your point if you are angry and emotional.
• Try to understand the reason he/she disagrees with you. Listen, be respectful and then provide a counterargument that highlights the harmful and hurtful effects of using the R-word.
• Share a personal story about why the R-word is hurtful to you. Personal stories will help people more easily relate to what you are saying because it illustrates your personal commitment to the campaign.
• If you encounter a question you are unable to answer, direct the individual to the Spread the Word to End the Word website (http://www.r-word.org/) to learn more about the campaign, Special Olympics and Best Buddies.

What can I do when I hear the R-word?

from r-word.org:

Making your own pledge to stop using the R-word and promote the inclusion and acceptance of people with intellectual disabilities is a terrific first step.  At some point however, we will all hear someone else use the R-word and think to ourselves – What do I do now?

It’s a tough question because each situation is unique, no one likes to be seen as “the word police,” and often times it’s just easier to let it go unnoticed and go on about your day.  However, now that you’ve taken the R-word pledge, you have a larger opportunity to be an agent of change in the world and speak up when you hear others use the R-word.

Below are some ideas, tips and resources for you to answer the question: What can I do when I hear the R-word?

Dialogue Scenarios

There are a lot of scenarios in which you may hear the R-word.  Here are some typical situations that depict a potential dialogue you can have to help someone understand why it’s important to choose more respectful language.  (Note: We welcome suggestions on additional scenarios, and user generated scripts or videos to provide in this space as resources.  Email us at mailto:info@specialolympics.org?subject=R-word%20Dialogue%20Suggestions)
Scenario 1:  When a friend or family member uses the R-word 
Scenario 2:  While collecting R-word pledges

Hearing the R-word in the Media

The R-word continues to be pervasive in mainstream media.  It is still used in television shows, movies, live television interviews and more.  The best way to create change in this space is to speak up, loudly.  When you hear the R-word used in the media, there are many things you can do to activate immediately.

• Note down the time, channel and program information in which you heard the word.  
• Try going online to get a clip of the usage.  Most networks have websites where you can view recent episodes and even select a specific clip to share.  You can also try Hulu.com or YouTube.com.
• Search for information about the show (http://www.imdb.com/ is great for this). Find out who the actors, writers, producers and distributors are and write them!  Find out who the relevant network contacts are and write to them.  Find out who the advertisers are that support the show and write to them.  
• Use your social networks to engage those same people and share your activities with the Spread the Word to End the Word social media outlets on Facebook and Twitter so the community at-large can activate.

Hearing the R-word in Person

You may hear the R-word used directly or indirectly, maliciously or non-maliciously, by a friend or a stranger, in a professional setting or on the street.  Every situation presents unique challenges and opportunities in deciding what you want to do after you’ve heard the R-word used.

• Many people will immediately speak up and share that the word is hurtful and ask the user to please choose more respectful language.
• Others who aren’t as outgoing may keep some of our branded cards on hand to pass out to someone who uses the R-word.
• Some people engage people who use the R-word in a conversation asking them why they chose to use the word and inquire as to the exact meaning of the message they were trying to get across and them simply ask them if there is a word that conveys the same meaning but is less hurtful.
• Often times people who have loved ones with an intellectual disability will preemptively ask friends or guests to be mindful of their language in recognition that some people simply aren’t aware of the hurt their words can create.  

There are many ways to handle many different situations.  We’ve put this exact question to our fans on Facebook before and have seen lots of different approaches.  Check out what they had to say.
Whatever your method of handling the situation when you hear the R-word in person it’s important that your put safety above all else and do not confront anyone with violence, or threats of violence.  The Spread the Word to End the Word campaign is about creating communities of respect and inclusion where all people are valued, even those who may disagree with our position, so it’s important to respect their opinions as you want them to respect yours.

Below are some basic tips to help guide you in having a conversation with someone who has used the R-word.

Tips for a successful conversation:

• Stay calm and collected, it will not help the other person see your point if you are angry and emotional.
• Try to understand the reason he/she disagrees with you. Listen, be respectful and then provide a counterargument that highlights the harmful and hurtful effects of using the R-word.
• Share a personal story about why the R-word is hurtful to you. Personal stories will help people more easily relate to what you are saying because it illustrates your personal commitment to the campaign.
• If you encounter a question you are unable to answer, direct the individual to the Spread the Word to End the Word website (http://www.r-word.org/) to learn more about the campaign, Special Olympics and Best Buddies.

PSA on the R-word donated to Best Buddies and Special Olympics

from the Huffington Post by Ayo Adeyeye:
I remember having a conversation with my elder sister, as a child, and mentioning something concerning "handicapped people." My sister, who has long had a passion for and works daily with people with disabilities immediately corrected me to say "people with handicap," explaining that "people come first, not their disability." I certainly didn't intend any offense with my syntax, but I've since used the appropriate people-first language, quite simply, because I know better. It is in that spirit that several members of the Shriver family, celebrities, and shoppers came together at a boutique in Santa Monica, CA last month to support those with disabilities and to fight prejudice.

Our friends at Project360, the apparel company founded by Patrick Schwarzenegger, Nick Sheinberg, and Kimberly Barth, hosted the event. Project360 uses fashion as a vehicle to generate social awareness for important global causes, one of which is Best Buddies International. Founded in 1989 by Anthony Shriver, the organization promotes leadership, employment, and social opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Hundreds gathered at Fred Segal Couture and Madison in Santa Monica to shop, eat, and indulge in various offerings from the event sponsors, all in the name of charity. Ticket proceeds were donated to Team Maria Best Buddies, a fundraising team started in 2009 by Maria Shriver, Anthony Shriver's sister, which has since raised $600,000 for the organization.

Project360 raised more than $10,000 for Best Buddies that evening, all of which will be donated to the organization. One of the most salient features of the event was a campaign to "End the R-word," the offensive term meant to disparage people with IDD, for which attendees contributed to a Public Service Announcement (PSA) produced by Project360.

Lauren Potter, an actress on the hit television series Glee, who has Down syndrome and is a board member of Best Buddies, co-hosted the event with Nancy O'Dell of Entertainment Tonight. O'Dell has been a board member of Best Buddies for more than 10 years and is intimately familiar with the organization's cause. Growing up with an aunt with Down syndrome, she witnessed the isolation felt by people with IDD due to prejudice, and the resulting cost to society, explaining that "the rest of the world misses out when they don't recognize the contribution that people with intellectual disabilities can make to our community."

Anthony Shriver founded Best Buddies to give people with IDD the opportunity to be socially integrated. The organization accomplishes this by partnering with schools, from middle schools through universities, and pairing people with IDD, known as "buddies," with their non-disabled peers to foster one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, and leadership development opportunities. Shriver founded the organization because he recognizes the value of teaching young people that everyone has a gift to contribute to society. He adds, "And I thought pairing people with IDD with young people who are at that same stage of their life, aspiring to great things - to develop a career, raise a family - sharing that bond together, would be something magical and special." Shriver, whose mother founded the Special Olympics, the athletic organization for people with IDD, explained that his parents instilled the values of service and community involvement early on in their family by engaging their children. He remembers, "The dialogue between them on the tasks that were put before them in building the Peace Corps and the Special Olympics always made them seem alive and stimulated... it's energizing and it makes you want to have that same kind of experience."

In addition to the funds raised by Project360, Fred Segal Couture and Madison agreed to donate 10% of the day's sales to Best Buddies. The PSA discouraging use of the R-word will be donated to Best Buddies and the Special Olympics, allowing the organizations to continue promoting the message of people first.