Lauren Hill Academy Hooping It Up with Best Buddies Canada

LaurenHill Academy 'Hoops It Up’ with 

Best Buddies Canada basketball competition to promote inclusion

By Guest Blogger Heather Brown

LaurenHill Academy is helping to lead the way to inclusion through friendship and sport. On April 17, LaurenHill Academy’s Best Buddies chapter hosted 'Hooping It Up with Best Buddies', a basketball free-throw competition. For a small entry fee, participants tried to sink as many free-throws as possible in 60 seconds. Students competed for their chance at winning three National Grand Prizes of $500 for top shooters across the country. 

Ms. JoAnne Nagle and student members in Best Buddies at LaurenHill organized the event. This year’s event at LHA was the best one that the chapter has hosted to date, with 96 students and staff participating. “Hooping It Up” was a great way for the LaurenHill chapter to create awareness about Best Buddies and inclusion within the school.

Across Canada, approximately 100 schools will host this same 'Hooping It Up with Best Buddies' event this school year. 

LaurenHill Academy Best Buddies students overseeing the registration table for students to participate. Funds raised at LHA will be used to cover Best Buddies group activity costs. (Photo credit, JoAnne Nagle)

Best Buddies Canada is a national charity that helps to foster friendships between individuals with intellectual disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorder with student volunteers in over 370 universities, colleges, high schools, and elementary schools across the country.  Through Best Buddies, students with an intellectual disability are given the opportunities to enjoy the same experiences many of us take for granted- such as going to the mall, watching a movie, or simply enjoying the company of a friend. In Montreal, there are six Best Buddies chapters including: McGill University, Concordia University, Dawson College, LaurenHill Academy, Westmount High School, and Reach School.

For more information about Best Buddies or to join the program, visit their website at www.bestbuddies.ca or call 1 888 779 0061.

Heather Brown is the Senior Program & Expansion Manager at Best Buddies - Vrais Copains Canada.