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Deerfield Hosts First Warrior Buddies Valentine Dance

The Warrior Buddies Dance has an incredible turnout.

On February 4, there was a dance held at . This dance wasn’t for everyone; it was for a select group of special students and their empathetic peers. The Valentine’s Day Dance had an unbelievable turnout and was an event that its participants will remember for many years to come.

Many of you may not be aware that Deerfield High School has a wonderful program called Warrior Buddies. This is a club that meets twice a month with the ELS (Educational and Life Skills) students who have developmental and intellectual disabilities. Warrior Buddies goes to events every month with the ELS students, such as football and basketball games, Stunts, and other school activities. 

Last spring, Warrior Buddies President senior Jenna Aronson, Vice President senior Colleen Hogan, and club member sophomore Sam Soloway attended a Best Buddies Prom with three ELS students at Vernon Hills High School. This experience gave these three girls the inspiration to host a similar event at DHS.

It made them realize that the kids with special needs don’t have the opportunities to attend Homecoming, Turnabout and Prom like the other students at DHS. Aronson, Hogan, and Soloway wanted to increase awareness of the ELS students and give them an experience they’ve never had before. 

Plans in Works for Months

The officers of Warrior Buddies began planning in the fall for a big event that would involve all of the ELS students. Warrior Buddies held fundraisers throughout the year that helped fund the event. They held pizza sales, sold gum around the school, and offered concessions at school sporting events. The two Warrior Buddies sponsors are also teachers at DHS. Mr. Moran, a teacher in the Fine Arts department and Mrs. Wood, one of the ELS teachers, both helped out with the planning and organization.  

“The dance wouldn’t have been the same without the support and dedication from everyone on Warrior Buddies, including the buddies, peers, officers, and sponsors,” Aronson said.

Deerfield High School has seven ELS students, six of whom attended the dance. There are over 85 members in Warrior Buddies, and nearly every one of them got involved. Ten other schools were contacted and invited to participate. Evanston High School showed up with 60 students, and Highland Park High School came in a group of 25. Warren and Niles North also arrived in large groups. In total, there were over 200 students that attended the dance, 75 of which were students with disabilities. 

The event was semi-formal, and the ELS students were really looking forward to dressing up, some for the first time in high school. Many of the girls got their nails polished and wore makeup, and the boys put on ties and donned their fancy shoes.  I was told that it was such a special night for these kids and they didn’t want the party to end.

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Everyone Was on the Dance Floor

Aronson said the best part was that everyone, including every single ELS student, was on the dance floor the entire night, and that smiles were on all of their faces. Parents reportedly were crying when picking up their kids, but everyone left on a high note.

In addition to dancing, there were festive decorations, live entertainment by Bizar, great food from Il Forno, and tons of homemade desserts. A photo booth (donated by Chicago Party Events) was also a huge hit and gave everyone a memory to take home.

“I think overall it was a life changing experience for all those who attended and everyone who worked the dance. We can make such a positive impact on these students’ lives, (and) make them experience something that they are so appreciative of,” replied Hogan when asked about how she felt the dance went.

Warrior Buddies is just one of many clubs at Deerfield High School that makes a difference in people’s lives. Aronson said she has been part of the club since freshman year. “I want to become a Special Ed teacher because of it. I’ve always loved working with people with special needs.”

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Although I am not a member of Warrior Buddies, I am proud to be part of a school with students like this that change the lives of so many people and help make our community a better place.

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