A son asked his mother, Mom, “When will I learn to use a computer?”, and she replied, ”I’m sorry son, but never.” He then asked, “Mom when will I have friends and go to parties like the other kids?” and Mom answered, “Never.” He followed with, “Mom, when will I have a girlfriend like the other boys at school?” and Mom once again answered, “Never”. Not to give up, he asked again,” Mom when will I work as an actor, become famous and travel to other countries?” and Mom, now in tears answered “Never son, never.”

A little dramatic, yes. But it reality for so many of our friends in New Mexico- individual who have intellectual disabilities are constantly faced with the walls of NEVER. Never because they live in social isolation and do not have the opportunities the rest of are afforded. But Best Buddies can break down those NEVERS one at a time. And it all start with simple friendship. After all, a friend is just someone who believe in you and encourages you to achieve the dreams that lie within your own heart. And everyone has dreams.

Today, we have 50 buddy pairs matched up in New Mexico. But come the start of school we will have hundreds more as our newest chapters take root. Thank you for your support in making that dream a reality. But that is not enough, There are another 8 schools waiting for chapters which we cannot start until we can find the funding. Those chapters represent an additional 100 buddies, 100 nevers. We all have the power to break a never. We all can join the bowl-a-thon, volunteer on our income development team, or make a donation, no matter how large or small. Even the smallest gift of time or funds can shatter a never forever. Will you please help us, and will you please pass this onto someone you know. It may help them shatter their own Never!

Help support Best Buddies by donating items for our silent auction!

Our first charity event will be on Thursday, June 11th, 6-9PM, at Chroma Studios. For more information, read our event post.

To make a donation, please call or e-mail Kevin Kronk at 505-559-4227.

Below is a list of suggested items for the silent auction.

Best Buddies New Mexico Kevin Cronk 505.559.4227 1606 Central SE Suite 105 Albuquerque, NM 87106 Web site: www.bestbuddiesnewmexico.org Blog: bestbuddiesnewmexico.wordpress.com	Chroma Studios Paula Manning-Lewis 505.554.3805 600 1st Street NW, Suite 100 & 210 Albuquerque, NM 87102 Web site: www.chromabq.com

Come join us at Chroma Studios for Best Buddies New Mexico’s first charity fundraiser. Enjoy an evening of classical guitar by Aaron Lewis; view a contemporary art gallery showcasing some of New Mexico’s finest artists; socialize with New Mexicans from Twitter; and enjoy champagne and appetizers!

Thursday, June 11th, 6:00-9:00PM @ 600 1st St. NW

Support Best Buddies New Mexico:

• Donate—Suggested donation $15.00

• Silent Auction

• 10% of all Gallery sales during the event go to Best Buddies NM

Why Best Buddies?

“You can’t just go buy a Buddy. It’s special. Somebody has to give you the gift of being a friend.” – Abe, Eldorado High Student

Abe’s right, you can’t just go buy a buddy. But we can support Best Buddies New Mexico, a program which enhances the lives of individuals with intellectual disabilities by creating one-to-one friendships. We currently have chapters in Cibola, Eldorado, Sandia, Rio Grande, and Grants High Schools, DeVargas Middle School and UNM.

Founded in 1989 by Anthony Kennedy Shriver, Best Buddies is a vibrant, international organization that has grown from one original chapter to more than 1,400 middle schools, high schools, and college campuses across the country and internationally.

Best Buddies New Mexico is a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities by providing opportunities for one-to-one friendships and integrated employment.

Best Buddies New Mexico Kevin Cronk 505.559.4227 1606 Central SE Suite 105 Albuquerque, NM 87106 Web site: www.bestbuddiesnewmexico.org Blog: bestbuddiesnewmexico.wordpress.com	Chroma Studios Paula Manning-Lewis 505.554.3805 600 1st Street NW, Suite 100 & 210 Albuquerque, NM 87102 Web site: www.chromabq.com

On September 12, 2009, while most of you are still in bed, hundreds of cyclists from across the country will be heading across the starting line at the sixth Audi Best Buddies Challenge: Hearst Castle– a Pacific Coast Highway cycling adventure from Carmel to the renowned Hearst Castle in San Simeon.

Participants finish right along the water at the William Randolph Hearst Beach across from the Hearst Castle. Unlike the usual organized rides walks or runs, participants in the Audi Best Buddies Challenge will be treated to a five-star experience when they finish before heading over to the 83,000 acre Hearst Ranch for a gourmet barbecue and private concert. Read more…

The Audi Best Buddies Challenge: Hearst Castle is one of the West Coast’s premiere cycling events. It brings together athletes, celebrities and individuals like you for the benefit of Best Buddies International. Best Buddies’ mission is to enhance the lives of people with intellectual disabilities by providing opportunities for one-to-one friendships and integrated employment.

But they can’t do it alone. Visit the website to sign up to ride, run, walk or lend your support to these worthy participants.

Team New Mexico needs your support. We are looking for riders and donations. Visit our team page to find out more. Email Kevin Cronk or call 505.559.4227.

“The only way to have a friend is to be one.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

What is a Friend?

We all laughed when we heard this from Eeyore, a bit tongue in cheek. Friendship is what we all need to survive. Recently, a New York Times article examined the positive impact it has on our health and ability to fight diseases, even the common cold. We know that friendships makes even our toughest challenges more tolerable.

Now let me tell you a little about my new friend, Abe. Abe is 17 years old students at Eldorado High School. He went with Anthony Kennedy Shriver and myself to the NM Legislature to thank them for supporting Best Buddies. I asked Abe to be prepared to answer why he felt he needed Best Buddies at his school, and this is what he wrote:

Top Ten Reasons Why I Need a Best Buddy By Abe

10. “I want to go to football games with a friend. GO EAGLES!”

9. “It gets really lonely eating lunch by myself.”

8. “I’m really sick of talking to Mom and Dad.”

7. “I want to learn how to act.”

6. “It’s good to have a Buddy to help me.”

5. “I want to help my Buddy. I’m pretty sure he’s going to need some help.”

4. “I want to be a part of it just like everybody.”

3. “When you get a Buddy, you get more friends and more chances to do
stuff.”

2. “My Buddy can help me meet all the cheerleaders and hot babes.”

1. “You can’t just go buy a Buddy. It’s special. Somebody has to give you
the gift of being a friend.”

Abe

Abe’s right, you can’t just go buy a buddy. But we can support Best Buddies New Mexico, a program which enhances the lives of individuals with intellectual disabilities by creating one-to-one friendships. We currently have chapters in Cibola, Eldorado, Sandia and Rio Grande High Schools and also at DeVargas Middle School.

I tried a little exercise with some buddies to describe the value of friendship. How many words describe what friendship means to us. We came up with 45. They are:

Here’s my challenge to you. Thinking of your Best Buddy, add a word to the list and make a donation to Best Buddies New Mexico so we can create more friendships! Ending the social isolation of people with intellectual disabilities is something
we do have the power to change. All it takes is a lot of people doing a little bit.

This program is free to the schools and the participants. The friendships promote social skills and enhances the quality of life. It increases awareness of the community about people with intellectual disabilities such as autism, Down’s Syndrome, Traumatic Brain Injuries, and a host of others. These programs do cost money. On average it costs us $500 per friendship per year to operate. This includes the salary of a program manager and state director, rent, utilities, phones, printing, leadership training for the students- including ones with intellectual disabilities, disability awareness classes and organized events, such as a Prom next spring. 91% of all funds raised goes directly to program costs.

Click here to donate to Best Buddies New Mexico today.