North Atlanta’s Best Buddies club has welcomed over 125 new members in only its second year. When the club was started last school year, the member count was only 30 people. But since then, it has rapidly grown, now boasting 155 total members. To match this significant increase, Best Buddies is planning bigger and better events for the upcoming months.

The Best Buddies club has already kicked off the year with its first social, allowing for collaboration and the introduction of new members to the club. Since then, the event coordinators have been hard at work. Fun trips to places such as the Georgia Aquarium and Braves games are currently in the works, and the usual annual holiday parties and field day events are being planned as well. Last year, the club organized and hosted events at the Atlanta Zoo and movie theaters, activities that also might return this year. Senior Virginia Brewer, vice president of the club, is one of many who are looking forward to the approaching events. “I’m so glad to see so many new people joining and becoming active in the club, and I’m confident that this year’s events will be even greater than last year,” she said.

Along with trip preparations, Sarah Rhodes, the teacher advisor of the club, is working to collaborate with the IDD students at Sutton Middle School to allow them to participate in the club’s events. The goal is to make the transition from middle to high school easier for those students. With the connections and friendships made through the club, they will already be familiar with many of the students and teachers at North Atlanta.  Senior Shalom Montgomery, president of the club, has heavily contributed to the progress of this plan. “I’m really excited to welcome the Sutton students to North Atlanta and more specifically, Best Buddies,” said Montgomery. “It’s important that, as a school, we create a welcoming community that’s open to everyone.”

The school is also working on organizing a special prom night with other schools in APS. This would mean that all of the IDD students would be welcome to a more safe and more inclusive environment to enjoy the annual high school tradition. The idea is still in the planning stage, but the club hopes to progress the plan during the second semester of this year. Montgomery and the rest of the club are very excited to continue planning the night as the second semester approaches. Like all Best Buddies events, there is hope that this dance will allow for fun and friendship for all.