Staff Report
Buddy Cruise Inc. announces the 2014 sailing of its annual conference, which will be its largest to date. This non-profit charity has been providing resources, promoting inclusion and awareness for individuals with special needs for seven years.
Founders Pamela and Jorge Arnoldson could not be prouder of this year’s participation.
“Our mission seven years ago was to offer a unique conference sea experience for individuals with special needs and their families. It turned out to be an extraordinary life changing event, and not just for the attendees; our own lives and those who our group came in contact with have been greatly impacted,” said Pamela.
This year’s conference will set sail on Monday, October 13 for five nights on Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas. This fun-filled week will have workshops and activities for all ages and abilities. Among the presenter line-up is multi Emmy award winning writer for Sesame Street Emily Perl Kingsley, who is the author of the famed Welcome to Holland and mom to Jason, an amazing young man and actor who has Down syndrome. This will be Kingsley’s third voyage with Buddy Cruise. This year also marks the third annual “BuddyWalk at Sea.” In partnership with the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS), Buddy Cruise will be holding a walk to promote awareness and support for their programs and that of the NDSS.
“I have worked with great leaders like Trump and others, but I have never met any greater leader in compassion until I met the special needs men and women of Buddy Cruise,” Troy McClain, former Apprentice cast and current Buddy Cruise board member, said. “Pam and Jorge have built a program not only designed to honor the special needs community, but to teach all of us success comes through inclusions and understanding.”
The Buddy Cruise is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charity founded in 2008 to provide resources for families while promoting awareness, advocacy and inclusion for individuals with Down syndrome and developmental delay.
For more information about participating on the Buddy Cruise, or tax deductible sponsorship opportunities, contact Pamela Arnoldson at 877-239-2789 #0 or e-mail joinus@buddycruise.org.
