The Best Buddies Club is starting off the year with a bang with a new Best Buddies Carnival. With this being the first year of putting together the carnival, leaders senior Brooke Chisolm and junior Danielle Goncalves are working hard to make the event as successful as possible.  

The carnival will be held at the track behind Ludlow High School on Saturday, Sept. 30 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.. Tickets cost $3 for students and $5 for adults. Everyone is encouraged to bring additional money to pay for food and activities such as the raffle.

The Best Buddies Carnival will entertain guests with a petting zoo and balloon animals along with a bounce house, face paint, and small carnival games such as cornhole. Rice’s Fruit Farm from Wilbraham will set up a food truck from which they will serve hot dogs and hamburgers along with treats such as donuts.

Last year, the Best Buddies Club had a rather slow start, and this carnival is the product of an attempt to create a more rapid build up of the club for this school year. Best Buddies can use the money from this fundraiser to fund more exciting events in the next few months.

Vice President of the club, Danielle Goncalves, explains that the club originally wanted to host a 5k as other chapters do because there are not any local Best Buddies walks. However, after meeting with the other officers and advisors, the idea of a carnival proved to be a better decision because carnivals have more options as far as activities.

“I think it will raise awareness throughout the town about what our club is and how it impacts the world internationally,” says Goncalves. She further explained that anyone is welcome to attend the event, no matter the age or town. “The goal is to recruit as many new people into our club as possible.”

Veterans of the Best Buddies CLub feel enthusiastic about starting this year with such a huge event. As an example, Junior Caleigh Bingham admits, “the carnival made me realize how exciting the club can be, which cemented my decision to join Best Buddies again this year.” She expects the Best Buddies Carnival to raise awareness about the club to the entire town of Ludlow, which is everything the leaders hope for.