Text Box: There are 7.5 million people with intellectual disabilities in the US who have traditionally been segregated from society. By participating in Best Buddies, we include people with disabilities and expand their circle of friends. Founded in 1989 by Anthony Kennedy Shriver, Best Buddies is an enthusiastic international organization that has grown from one chapter to more than 1,300 chapters internationally. This year alone, Best Buddies will positively impact more than 300,000 individuals around the world. Best Buddies envisions a world where people with intellectual disabilities are successfully integrated into every community. We want to show the world that people with intellectual disabilities deserve respect. Members are paired into one peer buddy and one buddy. Each pair commits to keep in touch at least once a week through phone calls, e-mails, or seeing each other at school. Buddy pairs get together on their time and socialize twice a month. They also agree to attend Best Buddies meetings (that are held every Thursday in Mr. Schwartz’s room 314 during lunch), activities, and fundraisers. Shadow Mountain’s Best Buddies chapter has just completed our second year, and we are excited to continue to grow and impact more lives in the 2008-2009 school year. Notes: Club dues of $10 need to be turned in ASAP. The $10 goes towards club T-Shirts and Calendars. 5 Addresses for the 1989 fundraiser are due Thursday the 23rd.