Cayden Sumner and Logan Selman are truly Best Buddies. They’ve known each other since grade school and now, as Kickemuit Middle School students, hang out together as much as possible. They love sports, video games, swimming in their pools and just hanging out.

“He’s an extremely good kid, extremely good,” Cayden said. “I consider him as my brother, and his parents and grandparents as my parents and grandparents. He's awesome!"

The friends are both members of the Best Buddies International program at Kickemuit Middle School, which along with another chapter at Mt. Hope High School works to pair up mainstreamed students with their developmentally and physically challenged peers. The kids have time to hang out every day after school and have regular social events and outings throughout the year. Many of the program's participants have made lasting friendships and parents say its changed their children's lives for the better, teaching them the true meaning of friendship, giving them confidence and bringing light into their lives.

The Mt. Hope program has been run for more than a decade and currently has more than 40 students enrolled; at Kickemuit, where dozens of students take part, the program has been running for three years.

"The whole reason for Best Buddies is to build relationships, develop one on one friendships and expand people's social circles," said Bonnie Pansa, a teacher at Kickemuit who helps run that school's chapter.

"I think parents of special needs students are fearful that their children are not going to have friends, or that school will be difficult for them. They worry about their kids getting along and this really helps with that."

That's the case for the Claudia Rezendes, who has Down Syndrome and is buddies with fellow KMS student Lindsie Medeiros. Claudia's mom Sandra said the program has been a huge help to her daughter.

"They're amazing together," she said of Claudia and Lindsie. "I find that Lindsie brings out so much in her — the best in her. Claudia has never lacked for confidence but she scares easy. I find with Lindsie, she doesn't have that fear. She sees that Lindsey can do something and she copies it. She's a great role model for her."

The program doesn't just benefit peers, but their buddies as well. Mt. Hope senior Sydney DeMarco got involved when she was a freshman, getting involved to saw what saw as a sad fact of life at high school: Students who are different sometimes have a hard time fitting in.

"I joined the group because I wanted to help people and I felt bad about seeing people sitting alone or not having friends," she said.
Four years later, Sydney still keeps in touch with last year's buddy, Scott Russell, who has graduated.

"Me and Scott, we still talk on Facebook every day. He tells me a lot about the things he likes, sports, the weird dreams he has. And I tell him what I'm doing. It's great."

Funding and events

Neither school's program receives any funds from the district, and as a result both hold a few fund-raisers a year, most recently a plant sale at Mt. Hope High School last month. The Kickemuit chapter is planning a car wash in a few weeks (see sidebar), and the proceeds will go into a general account to fund events throughout the year.

One of those events was held the weekend before last. Students from the middle school traveled to South County to take part in BoldrDash, a team-building obstacle course and race through the woods.

At Mt. Hope, organizers hold an annual Best Buddies Ball every spring, usually held at the Venus de Milo. Other events include an annual bonfire at the Bristol Town Beach, a Halloween party and trips to the Escobar corn maze in Portsmouth.

"We try to do as much as we can," said Ginny DePasquale, who helps teacher Brian Travers run the program with Michele Costa. "The kids have a lot of fun together."

"It has been an amazing experience," Cayden said. "I've gotten to meet a lot of people, more than I would have been able to otherwise."

Car wash

Want to help a local Best Buddies International chapter? Kickemuit students will hold a car wash fundraiser Saturday, June 10, at Twigg's Automotive at 205 Child St. in Warren. It runs from 9 a.m. to noon. There will be games for kids, lemonade and baked goods for sale.