A group of moms and Special Olympics South Dakota athletes are embarking on a journey to provide a place for young people with intellectual disabilities to come together to socialize – and hand out a delicious drink or two! They are hoping to open this special space some time early this summer.
Near Brandon Valley High School, Buddies & Co. has set up shop. The three athletes, Rylee, Andrew, and Anna are excited to provide drinks and snacks to their friends, teachers, and the community.
Special Olympics South Dakota has always been a great avenue for socialization and a way to remain active.
However, the goal of the shop is to provide meaningful work for the athlete trio.
After graduating from Brandon Valley, the athletes found themselves searching for the community they built through their school. They decided that the way to bridge that gap and develop connections is through Buddies & Co.
The group agrees that the community of Brandon is always inclusive and accepting of everyone!
Recently, Buddies & Co. took a practice run at Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln Inclusion Night. There was a Unified Basketball Tournament and the Unified Choir and Cheer performances.
They served Huckleberry Lemonade, Blue Raspberry Lemonade, and had samples of their Strawberry Smoothies. According to Unified Champion School Directors, they were DELICIOUS!
Right now, they are focusing on the team they currently have, but have goals to expand into having Unified Partners and other athletes working for the smoothie shop.
Buddies & Co. is currently collecting donations and is close to meeting its $75,000 goal to begin to convert the former casino into this dream.
Donate to Buddies & Co. here.
