Happy New Year - Celebrating 10 Years of BBIN

Dear Friends,

Welcome to our 10^th anniversary celebration blog! It is hard to believe Best Buddies launched an office in Indiana 10 years ago. The office opened in January, 2002 at 21 Virginia Avenue in downtown Indianapolis. We spent a short time downtown before moving to the Schull-Rausch Mansion at 3050 North Meridian Street, which was home to Best Buddies Indiana for more than five years. Continued growth brought more change and the office relocated to the Castleton area in 2009. We have been very happy in our new space and will be able to grow and expand as needed over the next several years.

Of course the most significant news since our office opened 10 years ago is the enormous  number of individuals we have impacted through the Best Buddies Friendship Programs. In 2002 we opened 8 chapters at High School and Colleges in the state that served  200 participants. Today, as we celebrate 10 years, we are ecstatic to report that we offer programs on 4 Middle School, 46 High School and 16 College campuses in Indiana, serving more than 4,600 individuals annually.

We would not have been able to accomplish so much without the hard work and dedication of our staff and the Best Buddies Indiana Advisory and Honorary Boards.  We thank each of you who have served Best Buddies Indiana during the last decade.  Because of you, we have brightened the days of our buddies and their families.

Throughout 2012, we will be highlighting former volunteers and participants who are part of the Best Buddies family on this blog. We invite you to join us on our journey as we celebrate the thousands of friendships that have been created over the last 10 years. Together, we are Best Buddies!

Sincerely,

Sarah Baldini 

State Director