As the academic school year has been wrapping up, more and more events have been happening to celebrate. Although graduation is the biggest event to come to mind, there has actually been quite a bit of events held for a special club at Oakton. This club is Oakton’s chapter of Best Buddies. Best Buddies is an organization in which members form long lasting friendships through many activities such as holiday parties, fitness days, and frequent get togethers. Over the last month Best Buddies has had three major events to celebrate the end of this school year.

The first event was the Best Buddies Day Prom. The event was held at the Fair Oaks Waterford (the same place Oakton’s prom was held) on May 12. Oakton Best Buddies even took their own party bus to the dance! Here, Best Buddies chapters from all Fairfax County high schools came for a day of dancing and fun. Of course this was an awesome event for Oakton students to enjoy with each other, but because it was a county-wide event, Oakton Best Buddies members also got to see their friends from middle school and other Best Buddies chapters, making the day extra special.

The next evening, May 13, there was a second Best Buddies Prom held for all Best Buddies chapters from the Capital Region. The event was held at the luxurious Carnegie Library in Washington D.C. Roughly 30 Oakton Best Buddies members attended this year’s prom. This event was even more formal than Day Prom, and the evening once again consisted of lots of dancing and photos. Oakton Best Buddies officer, treasurer, and club member Katie Marshall describes the night as being “an incredibly special opportunity to dress up and spend time with your buddy outside of the club’s regular activities.”

Last but not least, the following day, May 14, Oakton Best Buddies held their 10th Annual Best Buddies Basketball Tournament. This event is open to all Fairfax County Best Buddies chapters. This event serves not only as a competition for the buddies, but also as one of the club’s biggest fundraisers for the year. All club members are welcome to come and play, and all Oakton students were encouraged to come out and cheer on their friends. The games are played like a real basketball tournament, so once a team loses, they are out for the rest of the day. The event runs from 10AM to 3PM, each game lasting 15 minutes. The teams must consist of at least five players, three buddies and two peers. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place teams are recognized at the end of the event. Major congratulations to Oakton’s team for placing second this year!

On a closing note, its important to remember how special these events are to both the buddies and peers at Oakton Best Buddies. “Best Buddies has always been so important to me. I always look forward toour chapter events and seeing my buddy, Katie, and everyone in Oakton Best Buddies. I have made so many friendships through Best Buddies, and the Best Buddies program has had such a large impact on my life for the past 5 years. These events are just a few of the many fun things we do that all have an amazing impact on Oakton students and the community” says Marshall.