P.T. Barnum costume on, Adrian Smith (10) talks to Jack Schriber (12) during the Best Buddies costume party, Oct. 10. “I enjoy how you can hang out with all the kids,” Smith said. “I’ve grown up with nine other kids with special needs, and it is nice to hang out with kids other than my family. Every year, my family does a theme for Halloween. This year, I wanted to do the Greatest Showman, so we all were characters from that. Best Buddies is a chance to hang out with kids who you don’t typically hang out with depending who you are. Sometimes you don’t have the chance to or want to but when you physically enable yourself to do it, it gives you a better understanding of yourself and them, too. Best Buddies is an important thing to have in school because in my family, most of my siblings have not been able to hang out with these ‘normal’ kids and they have been stuck at home doing nothing. It has helped them get involved with other people.”