Donate to the Best Buddies Brentwood School Chapter at Sunday's Farmers Market

Palisades residents and Brentwood School students will set up a cookie and lemonade stand at the Palisades Farmers Market on Swarthmore Avenue next Sunday to raise money for the school's Best Buddies program. The money raised will fund transportation to events like luncheons, proms and dance parties.   

"We try to give them a real high school experience," said Sydney Bub, Palisades resident and Brentwood School student. "The biggest issue we have is fund raising for buses because wheel chair buses are really expensive."

Best Buddies pairs intellectually challenged high school students with non-disability high school students to help integrate the two in academic and social settings. 

"This is a great way for school-aged, intellectually-challenged students to be exposed to people without disabilities," said Jeremiah White, deputy director of programs and operations for Best Buddies California. 

Best Buddies has at least 93 high school chapters in California.

"I think people with disabilities tend to be marginalized and ignored by society," White told Patch. "Eventually we want these high school students to know that people with disabilities aren't any different from themselves. They are people just like them, and once exposed to one another in a high school social setting, they can be friends just like any of their other friends."

Watch the video to see interviews with Brentwood School students at a previous fundraiser at the farmers market on March 6.