Pure happiness-the emotion that the Best Buddies Friendship Walk, which was held on Saturday Oct. 20 at the National Mall, inflicted on junior and Best Buddy club member Elly Glenn, as she accompanied McLean High School’s Best Buddies program in Washington D.C this past Weekend.

The Best Buddies Friendship Walk, an annual fundraising event aimed at creating Best Buddy programs in schools across the D.C area, raised nearly 400,000 dollars and provided McLean High School’s Best Buddy club members with an opportunity to interact, encourage, and make long lasting friendships with MHS students who have disabilities(Buddies).

“[Participating in the walk is about] being willing and open to new friendships and to find people who you can really open up to and be friends [with] for life,” Glenn said. “The most important thing to learn [from the walk] is that friendship has no boundaries [and] that you can be friends with whomever as long as you make an effort.”

The walk also proved to be an exciting event for all those involved that brightened up participants’ day and successfully conveyed its message of inclusion.

“[Even though] every one’s kind of tired, [they’re also] just super excited [to be there], and…it makes the buddies feel apart of the group because [they’re] not being treated any differently,” Glenn said. “Everyone’s walking the same and just talking to each other.  It makes them feel that feeling of inclusion… and that feeling of friendship and love.”

The Friendship Walk includes fun pre-walk activities, such as dancing, guest speakers, and a group warm up. More importantly, though, it teaches students resilience and gives all who are involved life-long memories.

“[My favorite moment was when the walk] was getting a little bit tiring for some of the kids and one girl I was walking with…  [didn’t’] want to go anymore and then some of the other buddies were [telling her] c’mon let’s go, and she just got a burst of energy and started running and was like okay we can do this, we can finish” Glenn said. “[Seeing people] willing to make everyone feel included and feel happy [is] just awesome.”

One common theme prevalent throughout this walk and all Best Buddies events is a genuine desire that club members possess in making new friends.

“[Best buddies] is not just about hanging out with [a] person because [you’re] part of the club it’s [that] you genuinely want to become friends with these people,” Glenn said.

Best Buddies has many events planned throughout the school year such as the annual Best Buddies Prom. If you want further information about The Best Buddies club you can reach out to either the president of Best Buddies, junior Maggie Campion, or vice president, senior Julia Green. You can also follow Best Buddies on Instagram at Best Buddies McLean. Additionally, Glenn wants students to know that their are simple ways to make a positive impact in the lives of kids with disabilities, and hopes students would speak more to people that they normally might not talk to.

“You don’t even have to be in best buddies to be friends with a buddy, you can always reach out to other people,” Glenn said.