Stevenson junior Justin Kolpak (left) of Buffalo Grove, president of the Best Buddies chapter at Stevenson High School, and senior Eric Chiu, a buddy director, talk to students during the Jan. 23 event. | Ryan Pagelow~Sun-Times Media

Stevenson junior Marni Levin (left) of Buffalo Grove shows senior Ayano Maeda of Buffalo Grove (right) how to use a hula hoop with junior Amy Hechtman (center left) of Buffalo Grove and senior Stacy Feldman of Deerfield. | Ryan Pagelow~Sun-Times Media

Last spring, Stevenson High School's Joey Hanson (left) of Hawthorn Woods and Daniel Sacketos of Kildeer took part in an after school event organized by the Best Buddies. The Stevenson club has returned this year. | Ryan Pagelow~Sun-Times Media

Last year, Stevenson students Alexis Winegard (right) of Vernon Hills is pictured with Tessa Kamp (center) of Buffalo Grove and Roxy Silver of Buffalo Grove during a Best Buddies event after school. The Stevenson club has returned this year. | Ryan Pagel

Last spring, Stevenson's Eric Chiu, former buddy director of the Best Buddies chapter at Stevenson, celebrated after tossing balls into bozo buckets. The Stevenson Best Buddies club has returned this year. | Ryan Pagelow~Sun-Times Media

Last spring, Richard Pinkney (left), 21, of Long Grove, showed his artwork to Stevenson's Mara Somlo of Long Grove during a Best Buddies after school event. The Stevenson Best Buddies club has returned this year. | Ryan Pagelow~Sun-Times Media

Stevenson sophomore Natalia Chavez of Buffalo Grove tosses balls into a bucket held by her buddy during the Circus Shindig, which included a ring toss, coloring, face painting, Bozo buckets, hula hoops and pin the tail on the elephant. | Ryan Pagelow~Sun-

Stevenson sophomore Alex Kim of Lincolnshire (left) shows sophomore Sara Schubert of Deerfield how to juggle Jan. 23 during an event after school organized by Best Buddies at the Lincolnshire high school. | Ryan Pagelow~Sun-Times Media

Stevenson junior Tanner Salinas (right) of Lincolnshire talks with junior Justin Kolpak of Buffalo Grove, president of the Best Buddies chapter at Stevenson High School. | Ryan Pagelow~Sun-Times Media

Stevenson senior Jeffrey Smith (center) of Vernon Hills has his face painted by his brother, Eric (left), a freshman, and graduate Danny Claver of Lincolnshire during an event organized by Stevenson High School’s Best Buddies organization. | Ryan Pagelow~

Stevenson junior Justin Kolpak of Buffalo Grove, president of the Best Buddies chapter at Stevenson High School, talks to students during an event after school organized by the group at the high school in Lincolnshire. | Ryan Pagelow~Sun-Times Media