{"id":43756,"date":"2024-12-11T09:07:04","date_gmt":"2024-12-11T14:07:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=43756"},"modified":"2024-12-11T09:07:05","modified_gmt":"2024-12-11T14:07:05","slug":"downingtown-west-best-buddies-chapter-and-girls-varsity-basketball-team-host-inaugural-everybody-belongs-basketball-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=43756","title":{"rendered":"Downingtown West Best Buddies Chapter and girls’ varsity basketball team host Inaugural ‘Everybody Belongs’ basketball game"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Members of the Downingtown High School West Best Buddies Club, Girls\u2019 Varsity Basketball Team, and Cheerleading Team come together to celebrate belonging and community at the inaugural “Everybody Belongs” basketball game.<\/p><\/div>\n

On Tuesday, Downingtown High School West’s (DHSW) Best Buddies Club, in partnership with the DHSW Girls\u2019 Varsity Basketball Team, hosted the inaugural “Everybody Belongs” basketball game. More than just basketball, the event was a celebration of community, inclusion, and friendship, bringing students, staff, and families together for an unforgettable evening.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Designed to unite students and promote a positive school culture, the event fostered an environment where everyone feels supported, valued, and accepted. Best Buddies, a nonprofit organization, is dedicated to creating opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, and inclusive living for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.<\/div>\n

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The mission of the DHSW Best Buddies Club to cultivate a sense of belonging was evident throughout the night, making it a memorable occasion for the entire community.<\/div>\n
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Best Buddies Club members played an active role in the evening\u2019s success, from leading the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance to participating in a halftime shooting contest. They cheered on the girls\u2019 varsity basketball team, high-fiving players as they entered the court, and embodied the spirit of connection and support that defined the event.<\/div>\n
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\u201cI\u2019m so proud of our team for partnering with Best Buddies to host this inaugural event,\u201d said Mike Young, Girls\u2019 Varsity Basketball Coach at DHSW. \u201cTonight was all about building connections and creating an environment where everyone feels welcome. It was a truly special night for all of us.\u201d<\/div>\n
Justin Brown, Director of Student Relations and School Climate, reflected on the event’s significance: \u201cThis event exemplifies the heart of what we strive for\u2014a school environment where every student feels they belong,\u201d Brown said. \u201cSpecial thanks to our colleagues\u2014Chris Cornine, Nicole Riggs, Michele Ruzzi, Rachel Immel, and Kim Bankes\u2014for their dedication to building a welcoming community. Their efforts continue to have a lasting impact.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Life Skills Teacher and Best Buddies Club Advisor, Chris Cornine, added, \u201cI\u2019ve always believed that the grass is green where you water it, and a community grows where you invest in it. Our \u2018Everybody Belongs\u2019 night was designed to encourage students to engage with their community in a meaningful and inclusive way.\u201d<\/div>\n
The event was a success, with a large turnout reflecting the community’s shared commitment for fostering a welcoming and supportive environment. The ‘Everybody Belongs’ game left a meaningful impression, celebrating the values of connection, friendship, and unity.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On Tuesday, Downingtown High School West’s (DHSW) Best Buddies Club, in partnership with the DHSW Girls\u2019 Varsity Basketball Team, hosted the inaugural “Everybody Belongs” basketball game. More than just basketball, the event was a celebration of community, inclusion, and friendship, bringing students, staff, and families together for an unforgettable evening. Designed to unite students and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":43755,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,9],"tags":[326,14995,14994],"class_list":["post-43756","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-schools","tag-basketball","tag-best-buddies-club","tag-downingtown-high-school-west"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43756","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=43756"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43756\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43757,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43756\/revisions\/43757"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/43755"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=43756"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=43756"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=43756"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}