Over 650 people helped celebrate the 15th annual Best Buddies Ball at the home of Sargent and Eunice Kennedy Shriver in Potomac last Saturday, Oct. 12.
Founded in 1989 by Anthony K. Shriver, Best Buddies enhances the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities by providing opportunities for one-to-one friendships with peers in their high schools or colleges and community.
Best Buddies has grown from one chapter on one college campus to an international organization involving participants annually in more than 750 middle schools, high schools and colleges in the United States, Canada, Cuba, Egypt, Greece, Ireland, and Sweden.
In its 13 years of existence, Best Buddies has touched the lives of more than 175,000 individuals. More than 40,000 people are active in Best Buddies this year.
According to the Arc (formerly the Association for Retarded Citizens), there are more than 7.5 million people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the United States and 250 million worldwide.
See www.bestbuddies.org.