Bowling with Buddies offers residents with special needs an evening of fun

The village of Buffalo Grove’s Rick Kahen Commission for Residents with Disabilities (RKCRD), in partnership with the Rotary Club of Buffalo Grove and Bowlero, is hosting a fun evening for residents with special needs. The event, Bowling with Buddies, takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 30, at Bowlero, 350 McHenry Road.

The bowling alley will be closed to the public and reserved for the participants, and bowling and dinner are free to the participants. “Buddies”— volunteers with the Rotary Club — will be on hand to assist participants as needed. The event is Halloween-themed, and participants are encouraged to wear costumes.

“This event is truly one of a kind,” said RKCRD Commissioner Mark Weiner. “Many participants return each year and ask to bowl with a “buddy” they were previously paired with.”

This is the sixth Bowling with Buddies event, with the first organized in 2018 with 34 participants. In recent years, including this year, the event has grown to reach capacity with close to 100 participants registered.

“This event is all about community supporting community,” said RKCRD Chair Judy Samuels. “We love being able to help our residents with special needs get out and have a fun evening while building relationships.”

The purpose of the Rick Kahen Commission for Residents with Disabilities (RKCRD) is to assess the needs and concerns of citizens with disabilities and to cooperate with the Village and all other governmental entities in the promotion of quality-of-life issues for them.

In addition to Bowling with Buddies, the RKCRD hosts the Buddy Baseball and Fun & Food events during Buffalo Grove Days each year. This year, the RKCRD is hosting its first Buddy Baseball Fall League, and next year RKCRD is planning a spring fling dance event.

The RKCRD meets at 7 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of the month at Buffalo Grove Village Hall, 50 Raupp Blvd., in Buffalo Grove.