UD Best Buddies named East’s best

3:08 p.m., May 19, 2005--UD Best Buddies has been named "Outstanding College Chapter of the Year" and one of its “pairs” named "Pair of the Year,” both for the Eastern region.

Marilyn Prime, director of student centers at UD, said, “We are very proud of our Best Buddies at the University of Delaware and the recognition they have been awarded this year. The organization has been very active in the community, as have the individual pairs, in providing guidance, care and life-changing friendships and experiences to people with and without intellectual disabilities. They truly offer efforts from the heart and deserve this level of appreciation.”

Junior Kathryn Smith, president of UD Best Buddies, echoed Prime’s sentiments. She said she was honored when she learned that both the chapter and buddies Matthew Cohen, a junior, and Michael Luternau, a resident of the Mary Campbell Center in Wilmington, had been named best of the year for the region.

Cohen and Luternau have been paired since September. Smith said she nominated the duo because of the intensity of their friendship. "Their friendship is genuine, and they are naturally compatible, since they share many of the same interests," she said.

Founded in 1989 by Anthony Kennedy Shriver, Best Buddies is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of persons with intellectual disabilities by providing opportunities for one-to-one friendships and integrated employment. UD Best Buddies pair with residents of the Mary Campbell Center (MCC) in Wilmington.

The chapter is in its seventh year on campus and has 60 members. Forty-two students have paired with individuals at MCC, and others help out at gatherings until they find a companion.

Smith said she was pleasantly surprised by the turnout in September of freshmen interested in volunteering with Best Buddies. “There were over 50 freshmen who came out to volunteer. Our numbers doubled almost overnight,” she said.

The international organization only requires two visits a month, but UD buddies visit MCC every week. Smith credited members that really care and an excellent carpool system.

When asked if she thinks they make a big difference in their buddies’ lives, Smith said she knows they do “when we walk through those doors and see their smiles.”

Article by Barbara Garrison

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