Meet Maddie and Caroline, two students from Ashlawn Elementary School’s Best Buddies chapter who, alongside three peers, made and sold friendship bracelets and donated their earnings back to Best Buddies.

The motivated group organized a neighborhood fundraiser, making friendship bracelets and encouraging community members to donate to Best Buddies even exchanging three push-ups for a $10 donation!

The philanthropic students dropped by the office to present their donation of over $200 and asked impactful questions such as, “Where does the money go?”. Best Buddies staff thanked Maddie and Caroline and explained that their donation would count towards Ashlawn’s 2025 Friendship Walk team. All the funds raised from the Friendship Walk go directly back to the local community to open and maintain programs such as their friendship chapter at school.
Maddie, Caroline and the Ashlawn community have shown that empathy and excitement for inclusion starts at any age and continues to grow as we get more involved.

We sat down with Maddie and Caroline to learn more about their Best Buddies chapter and the impact they’re seeing at their school.

What gave you the idea to start the friendship bracelets?

Caroline: “We wanted to make bracelets, and we wanted to make a cause for it and then we thought of Best Buddies because we love helping Best Buddies.”

Maddie: “We knew that it was a day off, so we had a lot of people that came over and bought some. They also gave us donations, and we did it for two days.”

Can you tell me about your Best Buddies chapter and why you joined?

Caroline: Because we love playing with Best Buddies. We went to one of the people in Best Buddies’ birthday party a couple of days ago, and it’s because we just love hanging out with them, and we think it’s a super cool organization, and we think it’s very fun.

Maddie: We love helping people and going to their activities.

What’s been one of your favorite Best Buddies memories?

Caroline: I loved the walk because it was super fun and just hanging out with them at school is very fun, and going to their birthday parties. It’s very fun to hang out with them.

Maddie: I also love the pajama party because it was really fun, and I like the walk, and I like just hanging out with them, and birthday parties and all kinds of things.

Caroline: At our school we had a dance that we danced with them. It was realy fun.

Why do you think Best Buddies is important?

Caroline: It’s because like everyone should be included no matter what we are because we’re all humans, and we should all be able to hang out with everyone.

Maddie: Everybody isn’t the same, so we all should be kind to everybody because it’s important to accept all people.

What would you say to someone who is considering joining Best Buddies?

Caroline: That it is a very fun organization, and I think you’ll have a blast!

Maddie: It’s like teaching people inclusion and kindness, and fun activities

Anything else to share or add?

Caroline: We made $205 in two days. We didn’t just sell bracelets. If they didn’t want a bracelet, we’d do a number of push-ups for a number of dollars, or they would just give us a donation if they saw us when they were driving by. We were making posters and saying “Help a friend and get a bracelet”

Maddie: Also we made keychains, and we made one necklace. And we made a lot over the past two days.

Maddie: Best Buddies is very fun and I think it’s a great organization.

Caroline: I think the same, and I think that I hope it always is a program, and I hope it grows.

Are you interested in joining or starting a Best Buddies Friendship chapter at your school? Click here to get started!