The Best Buddies organization will hold the annual community Friendship Walk Saturday, April 27. Check-in begins at 7:30 a.m., and the walk will go from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

“The walk is this Saturday, and it’s made up of all the Best Buddies programs in the D-FW area,” vice president and sophomore Hailey Rayburn said. “It’s the big fundraiser of the year because we are a non-profit organization.”

The Prosper organization met its goal of $500 Monday, April 22, but members still will accept additional donations.

“The donations go towards opening new programs,” Rayburn said. “Each program has special needs kids partnered up with general education kids.”

This year, walks are being held in more than 30 states as well as internationally.

“The point of the walk is to raise awareness to support those with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” treasurer and sophomore Morgan Begley said. “It is so much more than that, too, and it truly encompasses the point of the program.”

The mission of Best Buddies is to establish one-on-one friendships and create inclusion for people.

“It’s in Frisco Square.  There are lots of restaurants there,” Rayburn said. “There’s always fun events to do like face painting and bounce houses.”

To donate to the Prosper organization, click here, and select “donate to a team.” Then, search “Prosper.”

“I’m super excited to participate in the walk because it will be so much fun to just hang out with my buddy and other people in the organization,” Begley said. “I hope that with this walk people see that this program is really just a way to make some new friends and have a good time.”