30 years old might not sound old, but what about for a club? Dallastown’s Big Buddy club has been around for 34 years and is still going strong.
Laura Dixon, current DHS counselor and Big Buddy advisor, who graduated from York Suburban in 2001, has been at Dallastown for 17 years.
The Big Buddy Club connects High School students, who act as mentors, with Elementary students. The High Schoolers, who are referred to as ‘Big Buddies’ or ‘Bigs’, maintain weekly contact with the Elementary students, also known as ‘Little Buddies’ or ‘Littles’, through notes, calls, or pictures.
Recently, with the addition of Unified Big Buddy, the number of Littles involved in the program has changed from 80 to 95 with a total of 190 students participating.
“Seeing their faces get all happy when they walk in, it’s probably my favorite part,” said Sierra Krout, a senior and member of the Big Buddy Club.
The club has the benefit of bringing joy to all involved including, teachers, parents, counselors, and all students participating in Big Buddy.
“Big Buddy has warmed my heart. I love seeing the connections made between the Bigs & Littles. I am always so impressed with how well the Bigs work with the Littles and I love seeing the Littles’ faces light up when they see their Bigs,” says Dixon.
Along with the weekly contact, the Big Buddy Club has 4 different field trips held throughout the year for the Littles and Bigs to enjoy. During these field trips, Bigs and Littles interact through games, crafts, and snacks.
“My favorite part of Big Buddy is watching the relationships develop between the Bigs & Littles. The Littles need a positive role model in their lives, and I know it means the world to them to have the Bigs care for them,” Dixon shared.
But it is not just the Littles who gain from this experience, big buddies find a sense of responsibility and leadership that they may not have had before, by guiding their little buddy throughout the year.
“I think it’s important that they have someone that they can grow up to be like. When you give them someone they can look forward to, it just makes them a whole lot happier and does a lot more.” Krout said.
Helping over 2000 kids since before the 2000’s, the Big Buddy Club has been a rewarding experience for many students throughout the years, Big or Little.
