On Sunday October 1st, 2025, the Down Syndrome Association of Tulsa (DSAT) held its 23rd annual Buddy Walk at Holland Hall. The Buddy Walk is an advocacy and fundraising event where individuals with Down Syndrome from cities across Tulsa invite “buddies” to walk with them. Each year, DSAT recognizes a “Buddy of the Year.” The award is presented to an individual who “help[s] promote inclusion and acceptance of persons with Down Syndrome,” according to the DSAT website. Members of the community can nominate buddies who they believe should receive this award, and the recipient is announced at the Buddy Walk. This year, two of Bixby North Intermediate’s very own 6th graders, Sloane and Faye, were named Buddies of the Year as co-recipients for their friendship with their fellow student, Will.
Sloane and Faye have been friends since Pre-K and enjoy participating in theater and honor choir together. Will has been friends with Sloane since Kindergarten, and Faye since 2nd grade. Sloane says that when the trio began, “We didn’t think of him as someone who had special needs, we just thought of him as a best friend.” Over the years they have made many fun memories together. They attend each other’s birthday parties, cheer each other on at Buddy Baseball and Faye and Sloane’s theater performances, and play all kinds of games. Recently they have been playing guessing games involving Will’s favorite lunch food: noodles. Faye and Sloane visit him during his lunch hour and guess what kind of noodles he will have that day. Will’s favorite memory from his friendship with Faye and Sloane is just seeing them. “Just being together makes us happy,” Sloane says.
Faye and Sloane have been going to the Buddy Walk every year since the beginning of their friendship. This year, each of them had something great to say about the time they had. Faye’s favorite part of the walk was seeing her friends, making new ones, and cheering everyone on. Sloane says that people will simply come up and talk to you at the Buddy Walk, so it is a great place to meet new people. When Will was asked about his favorite part of the event, he said “You,” and pointed to Faye. He also mentioned her “silly dance moves.” On the topic of dancing, Faye and Sloane noted that they had some friends who attended the Buddy Walk that they knew from a dance class for people with special needs that they help with. Wonderful friendships are all around the Buddy Walk.
Mrs. Vandolah, principal of Bixby North Intermediate, who also happens to be Sloane's mom, says that as a parent she cannot take credit for her achievement, it was "all her." Mrs. Vandolah notes the importance of “building great humans,” and BNI has certainly lived up to the task. Sloane, Will, and Faye are bound to make the world a better place.