On April 11th, 2015, Dublin High’s very own Best Buddies Club walked the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge to promote awareness for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the Friendship Walk. Its many sponsors included Oracle, Three Twins Ice Cream, and Panera. Although the walk was only a day long, the memories and time spent raising awareness would last forever.

“It was fun and it gave me new experiences,” said Dublin High freshman Abigale Kim.

These experiences included meeting new people who were passionate about the same cause and glimpsing the Golden Gate Bridge for the first time.

“I never actually saw the Golden Gate Bridge before,” laughed Kim.

“It provided an amazing time for bonding with our fellow members. The view of the Golden Gate Bridge in the fog was lovely. It was a great way to spend my Saturday morning,” said Best Buddies member Hannah Liu.

Of course, the Best Buddies club does more than walking. This club supports equality and fair treatment to those who are often mocked as different. They do this by pairing a student from Special Education with a peer buddy. This creates friendships and simultaneously raises awareness about Best Buddies.

Special Education teacher and club advisor Jaime Melvin explains, “In my opinion, the Peer buddies gain just as much out of it as the buddies themselves.  I’ve heard from several members that is has changed their perspective on how they look at and treat people with IDD.”

This club and the Friendship Walk are just two steps toward the understanding and acceptance of people with disabilities. For more information, come to one of the Best Buddies meetings every other Wednesday at Ms. Melvin’s class K-113.