Cape High Best Buddies club earns state honors

For creating an inclusive community for all students, Cape High’s Best Buddies club was named Delaware High School Chapter of the Year for 2019-20.

Best Buddies International Deputy Director of Programs Marissa O’Brien said officials have admired Cape’s efforts in carrying out the Best Buddies mission since launching the chapter in 2009. 

“This year, due to COVID-19, we saw how Cape Henlopen was able to take the unprecedented situation and turn it into a connection opportunity of ensuring their friendships were still staying strong and inclusion was being carried out,” O’Brien said. 

The club helps forge one-to-one friendships by matching students who have intellectual and developmental disabilities with a peer. While schools were closed, Cape High’s chapter hosted a weekly game night via Zoom so buddies could continue to connect with each other.

Rising junior Reagan Ciabattoni, who was named chapter president for the 2020-21 school year, said members get together for movie and bowling nights, and games and activities during the club period and after school.

While school was in session, the club hosted Inclusion Week with different activities each day to promote the Spread the Word campaign, and created a Best Buddies commercial for Cape TV, the YouTube channel for Cape High’s video production class.

Senior Lizzie Shea, two-term club vice president, said the campaign focused on ending the use of the word “retard.” Students and staff signed a banner during lunch stating they pledged to respect and include everyone, past President Alexis Smeal said. 

The club’s biggest event is the Lewes Polar Bear Plunge, held each February to support Special Olympics Delaware. Members raised more than $1,000 in pledges last year for Special Olympics athletes, some of whom are Cape High students, club advisor Lisa Thorp said.

Senior Anne Marie Perrotta said her favorite event is Night to Shine, a prom that celebrates people with special needs and was created by NFL football player Tim Tebow; the event now takes place all over the world.

“I really like it,” Anne Marie said. “You get crowned king and queen of the prom.”

The club spreads awareness of inclusion by participating in community events, such as the Lewes Christmas Parade and the Milton St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Junior Elle Naumann and senior Sarah Perrotta, who serves as buddy director, also play on Cape High’s Unified basketball team, Thorp said.

Thorp, a Sussex Consortium paraeducator, and Consortium transition specialist Margaret Haas are club advisors.

“My favorite part is watching the kids interact, support each other and make friends,” Thorp said. “It’s a student-run club; advisors just are here to support and guide.”

Club members say making new friends is the best part of the deal.

“You get to meet people you wouldn't have otherwise met, and experience interactions you would’ve never had,” Alexis said.