On Saturday March 10, from 1-4pm at Holyoke High School, the Winter Warmer Ability Awareness Carnival was held. Approximately fourteen organizations were in attendance, including Sunshine Village, CHD, MCS, and the Miracle League. Members from the HHS Best Buddies Club were also in attendance, along with a band from the Berkshire Hills Music Academy.

The event was organized and run by Special Education Department worker Kim Levy, who also serves as the adviser for the Best Buddies Club at Holyoke High, which works to include special education students with the rest of the student body through fun activities and events.

Each organization had something to offer to families and provided community resources. Information was given out about the special Olympics program in the community and through the high school, the Miracle League, which is a program that gives special needs individuals of all ages the opportunity to play baseball, and Sunshine Village, which is an organization that gives young adults on the autism spectrum an opportunity to express themselves and engage in the community.

“It was really great to see so many dedicated organizations present,” said Helena Middleton ’19 and Best Buddies member. “Everyone was so friendly and happy to offer information to families about the event.”

Free popcorn was given out and live music was performed by a group from the Berkshire Hills Music Academy. They sang many songs including: “Only the Good Die Young”, “Life is a Highway”, and “You Got a Friend”. Each member of the band has a disability and after each song, a member of the band got up and spoke about their disability and their hopes and dreams.

“The live music was great! It was really touching to hear all the band members share their personal stories,” said Meagan Breen ’19, “Although the turnout wasn’t as large as expected, I believe the event was still a success and gave families connections to resources that could be helpful to them.”

If any HHS students would like to get involved in Best Buddies they can contact Taryn O’Sullivan, the president of the club, for more information.