“Best Buddies” Friendship Walk Comes To Fairfield County
Caroline Sweeny with Lucas the Stag and a Best Buddy | Photo Cred: Liv Jacoma
Caroline Sweeny is a Senior majoring in Psychology & Management at Fairfield University. Yet, all the while, it is hard to ignore her deep passion for spreading love throughout her community. When she arrived at Fairfield U, Caroline was immediately drawn to help grow the Fairfield University Chapter for “Best Buddies” — a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting inclusion and one-on-one friendships between individuals with and without Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, to help create friendships, social opportunities, and a more inclusive community. "Men and women for and with others" is a Jesuit Value that Fairfield University values and emphasizes, and it certainly rings true here.
College chapters are always partnered with Host sites within their communities. Do you know who Fairfield University is partnered up with? None other than Woofgang Co, a nonprofit in Fairfield CT dedicated to empowering adults with disabilities through vocational and learning opportunities, along with Trumbull Transitions.
Caroline’s commitment and dedication to the Best Buddies program didn’t go unnoticed. Her Sophomore year, she was invited to be “Friendship Coordinator”, which then led to getting promoted to Chapter Vice President her Junior year. Now a Senior, Caroline is not only Chapter President for Fairfield University Best Buddies—one of the larger chapters in the state, mind you—she’s also the Program Intern for Best Buddies CT, working directly with Lezlye Zupkus, Lisa Enright, Bill White, and Kady Allen..
As Program Intern, Caroline quickly identified a gap in regards to accessibility that students in our area had to the annual Best Buddies CT Friendship Walk, always held up in Hartford. Distance and timing with exams always seemed to create a huge barrier for student members. That’s why this year, Caroline has spearheaded the first ever Fairfield County Best Buddies Friendship Walk, being held on Sunday, April 28th from 1-4pm at the Fairfield University Lessing Track! Best Buddies chapters from all over the state of CT will be in attendance, and about 200 walkers are expected. It’s going to be a magnificent event where everyone will walk the track, various CT chapters will host activity tables, outdoor games, student DJ Tim Conklin will be donating his time to play some tunes, Stop & Shop and Shop Rite in Fairfield have donated snacks, and so much more! How “community” is that? Oh, and did we mention some men’s basketball players will attend? Knowing how much some of the program participants are the team’s fans, this event is going to be tremendous!
How can I participate?
If you would like to register as an individual walker or a team you can use the following link to register and fundraise
Fairfield University Best Buddies Executive Board Members with Lucas the Stag and a Best Buddy | Photo Creds: Liv Jacoma
Not walking, but want to help? Just make a general donation, donate to a team, or find a family to help!
Can you say inspiring?!
Huge shoutout to the FUSA and COSO organizations at Fairfield University which have been very generous and accommodating when planning this walk, both financially and in terms of accessing important resources to make this a successful event.
Your involvement also doesn’t have to stop at the walk.
Anyone in the community is welcome to participate in this program by either becoming a Buddy via The Best Buddies Citizens Program (open to people with and without IDD ages 18+), or by joining the E-buddies program—where you can build a virtual friendship between individuals with and without IDD for ages 13+.
Caroline is attending Quinnipiac after graduation to attend their Accelerated Nursing Program, and dreams of some day sitting on the board of a non-profit, paying it forward yet again. Cheers to your dreams coming true! We’re already so proud of you.
