Best Buddies Dance Tonight at Weston High School

What are you doing tonight? For the majority of the student body, the occasional all-school dance is one of the biggest extra-curricular attractions and coming tonight is yet another of these much-anticipated events.

The all-school dance, although a fantastic fundraiser for the hosting club or organization, is also a chance to get the entire school involved in a fun-filled way to get the message out about an organization while simultaneously boasting school unity. This Friday’s all-school dance will by held by the Best Buddies Club of Weston.

What is Best Buddies? “It’s a non-profit organization where high school students interact on a regular basis in and out of school with other kids with mental and physical disabilities,” says junior group member Noah Tocci. “There is no other club I would rather be in.”

Their goal is to “foster legitimate friendships and created connections between high schoolers.” I can think of no better way than to host a bonding school dance.

The Best Buddies club in the high school has many members including Tommy Peacher, James Goulart, Paty Atkinson, Lex Levitt, Kaitlyn Gordon and Rachel Yan under the supervision of teachers Claire Schomp and Donna Haydon. The club meets once a week to play games with the buddies “like a simple game of hangman” or just to have a conversation. Outside of school the club organizes hang-outs in the form of movie nights or pot luck dinners. Either way, they are creating lasting friendships.

The dance tonight is being held to raise money for the Weston chapter to cover the yearly fee. Says Tocci, “the money also lets us do more activities and donate to Best Buddies International.”

Noah is already a junior and although he joined the club just this year when his cousin Lexi was the vice president, he can already see the impact being a part of the organization is having on him.

“I have always been connected with helping people with mental and physical disabilities so I though that this would be a nice way I continue with it,” continues Tocci. “As soon as I started in the group I loved it and have had fun ever since.”

Tonight's dance is from 7:30 until 11 p.m. in the Weston High School cafeteria. Unlike any all-school dance before, there will be live entertainment by a rising rap group called “Rushin’ Embassy.” The performers include Noah’s cousin Zach Pace along with others who are all based out of Boston. They are all doing this for charity “which is very generous of them.” What an excellent and new opportunity!

Noah is mostly looking forward to raising awareness of the mission of Best Buddies. In the past, the club has run a very successful campaign against using the “r-word.” Noah sees this dance as a chance to push for that again: “Once you start hanging out with these buddies you realize that you don't want to say that word and it is a terrible word to use.”

A great event for a great club! Weston High Schoolers--come tonight and support the Best Buddies of Weston!