It's time!

This year’s Buddy Ball will be held March 14 from 7-10 p.m.

Held at the University of Pittsburgh, this year’s ball looks like a hoot.

Beaver Area’s Buddies will attend the official Buddy Ball event for their first time.

You may be asking, what is Buddy Ball?

Mrs. Katie Devlin put it best: Buddy Ball is “an event for people with special needs to have fun with their buddies.”

The event sponsor is, of course, Best Buddies International, an organization “dedicated to ending the social, physical and economic isolation of the 200 million people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).”

Buddy Ball is one of many fun experiences of participating in the Best Buddies club and being friends with Beaver Area's life-skills students.

Best Buddies has many field trips and fun events throughout the year such as the Special Olympics.

Last year, six Beaver Area learning-needs students went to Baldwin High School for a local version of the Buddy Ball pictured below.

This year, special education teacher Mrs. Devlin expects some continuations from last year’s ball with crafts and inclusion.

Mrs. Devlin also hopes the life-skills students “have a great time and meet more people.”

Attending the Buddy Ball event are 12 of the life-skills students and some members of the Best Buddies club which Mrs. Devlin notes that she is proud of.

Unfortunately, I cannot make it to the Buddy Ball as I will be working on the musical Drowsy Chaperone (#ad, #BuyYourTickets).

If events like these or Best Buddies interest you, Best Buddies is open to anyone (and highly encouraged); however, the Buddy Ball is closed to new volunteers since it is so soon.