The first annual Best Buddies Friendship Walk, where communities will come together to raise money and awareness to support persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), will take place from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29, starting at the Heart of Campus outside of Jamrich Hall. At the end of the walk, there will be games for community members to enjoy.

The main walk was in Ann Arbor, but since that is so far from Marquette, the Best Buddies
decided to do a satellite walk here, Emma Goebel, senior graphic design major and secretary/marketing assistant for Best Buddies said.

The purpose of the walk is to bring awareness to everyone in the community that Best Buddies along with others want to support inclusion for individuals with IDD,
Goebel said.

“This event, in my opinion, is a step towards furthering that goal of inclusion,” Goebel said. “I hope everyone, students and community members, can come together to walk toward that goal with us.”

The Marquette chapter of Best Buddies started with the help of senior biology major Seton Trost, who also stressed the point of inclusion.

“Everyone needs a friend, including the people others wouldn’t necessarily think to be friends with,” Trost said. “Just because they have a disability doesn’t mean they’re any less of a person.”

This walk will be a chance for community members to get to know each other, Trost added. The goal is to make this walk an annual tradition for years
to come.

“It’s really special to me. I really like the message and I really want other people to be a part of that message too,” Trost said.