Picnic Palooza

Best Buddies is a great organization located on campus. This group of students main focus is to help and work with adults that have a disability that is either mental, physical, or emotional. Within the organization, they come up with different activites in which the adults are able to work with others like themselves and have a good time. The group has been going on for a while now and has been going strong. The main members are usually exceptionality majors but also come from other majors including education, both secondary and elementary, speech pathology and a few others.

Some of the activities that are planned for the community members included talent shows, picnics, movie nights and during the weeks that nothing is going on, the college members get together with their adult buddies and have fun. Most of the time they are just found walking around Wal-mart, getting a bite to eat or going to the movies. To most people that would sound like something they do on a daily basis, but to them it is something exciting to look forward to.

While working with the group, we focused on planning an event that would take place at the Bloomsburg Town Park. Picnic Palooza came about! While planning the event, there were a few precautions that had to be made and met. First had to be choosing an array of activities that would give options to the adults. Kickball tended to be the game everyone wanted to participate in. Another precaution we had to take was find out about allergies and plan food for people with diabetes. We had to avoid anything to do with nuts and made sure most of the food was low sugar. There was food, games, and walking trails. There was something for everyone to do.

The group spent the day laughing and having fun, as well as chasing after the soccer ball that was kicked into a whole different area by the adult buddies! If the adults weren’t playing a board game or sport, they were basking in the beautiful sun! Some of the members enjoyed laying in the sun watching their freinds play kickball, badminton and volleyball. Many people made an appearance and appreciated what was done for them. Picnic Palooza gave the adults a chance to be outdoors and enjoy the great weather!

The event was a complete success and made an impression on a lot of the adult members within the community because they appreciated the effort put forth by the organization, Elizabeth Jung, Andrea Kellock, and Erin Heidlauf. Between all of us, we made sure everyone had a good time and took part in the events. The aftermath came to show that Picnic Palooza may become a yearly event!

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