Last night the Beez family attended the Life is Sweet Showcase hosted by Best Buddies PA. Best Buddies is a nonprofit organization with the mission of establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The Best Buddies Life is Sweet Showcase provided Best Buddies participants with the unique opportunity of working together with local chefs to prepare and present dishes. Participating chefs included Kate Romane of e2 and Kevin Sousa of Union Pig & Chicken/Salt of the Earth/Station Street Hot Dogs. Rick Sebak also joined the fun as a guest emcee.
Most charity events involve talking about the charity, and maybe there is a person there as a “spokesperson” for the work the charity does. This event was truly unique and special because so many Best Buddies participants were there, both paired and working with the chefs, and also partying and having a good time. In addition to the food and drink, there was plenty of music and dancing dancing dancing! Everybody had such fun! Charity events usually aren’t an appropriate place to bring a toddler, but we found ourselves without childcare and were told it would be OK to bring her along. Baby Beez had SUCH fun! She loves getting dressed up fancy for a party, and she had the time of her life dancing to the music and chatting with people. She’s truly a party girl!
The chefs pulled out all the stops and created delicious (and generously portioned) dishes for the attendees. My absolute favorites were the pork dish from Union Pig & Chicken
And the divine chocolate shell with cookie dough mousse and pop rocks from Cioppino.
The Best Buddies event was a hit both with the awesome food, and also because it provided a unique showcase of how much this organization has meant to the individuals with disabilities and with the volunteers, both of whom have been enriched and benefited immensely by the experience. My life is already crazy-crazy, but I would love to participate in the difference Best Buddies has made in peoples lives. I’m signing up to participate in the e-buddies program (you should too!) and I made a pledge to Best Buddies of PA (you should too!!)
And an extra thanks to Emily Levenson, from whom we received the tickets to the event!
