On Thursday, Mar. 15, FGCU’s Best Buddies hosted a Friendship Walk Kickoff in Reed Hall 146 from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The event provided information about the friendship walk for those interested in attending it next month and there were prizes, photos, music and more to celebrate the friendships and inclusivity achieved this year.

The Friendship Walk is held annually in 60 cities. The Southwest Florida walk will take place on April 27 at 9 a.m. at Estero Community Park. The goal of the walk is to raise awareness of the organization’s dedication to inclusive living for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Money raised from the walk will also go to the Best Buddies program. The walk is free and you can register on their website under the Southwest Florida Walk Registration page.

Historically, Best Buddies International has been conducting Friendship Walks since 2009. There have been over 150,000 participants in the walks over the course of 14 years. Best Buddies states that the Friendship Walk is the leading walk in the country that supports a more inclusive world for people with IDD.

Best Buddies at FGCU is one of many teams within Southwest FL. Each team works to gather donations for the organization and the Friendship Walks. FGCU’s team has a goal of raising $4,000 to support the Friendship Walk. 

According to Best Buddies International, the Four Mission Pillars of Best Buddies are One-To-One Friendships, Integrated Employment, Leadership Development and Inclusive Living. As a student organization at FGCU, Best Buddies aims to promote one-to-one friendships between college students and adults with IDD. Their goal is that the friendships born will last a lifetime.