Author: Able Buddies NC

Able Buddies NC is a community of family and friends, dealing with the day to day of raising wonderful and challenging special needs kids....We are their voices, we are their advocates, we are their biggest fans, and yes...we are tired too.
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If you didn’t make it to our FriendsGiving Able Buddies NC Family and Friends Night, here is what you missed!

What a great night we had!

As usual, our decorating committee brought the event to life!

We were honored to have the Pender County 4-H Teen Council join us as servers again this year. They helped the night to feel festive and inclusive! And they all took our Friends of Randy coloring sheets, and sent us photos with Randy at their meeting last week!

Mike Owens from Compass Care Connections was able to join us and share information with our parents and family members.

Our announcements included winners of the fall Special Olympics games that were held last month in Charlotte. And the announcement that one of our very own, will be moving on to the state games!

We also had Able Buddies NC family member Michelle Pratt, share with us that she is the current queen for Paws for a Cause!

We had a few new faces this month, which it’s always wonderful to see. And we all enjoyed chicken and waffles for dinner and wonderful hot cocoa from our sponsor Zarcone Cocoa!

Next month will be our favorite of all year, as we celebrate Christmas with a few special guests that will be taking time out of their busiest season, to join us for the evening.  We hope that you can join us too!

If you would like more information about next month’s Family and Friends Night you can follow us on our Facebook page Able Buddies NC Family and Friends Night, or email Aileen@AbleBuddiesNC.org.

We hope to celebrate the season with you next month!

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Able Buddies NC Family & Friends Night – October Recap!

 If you missed our Able Buddies NC Family and Friends Night on October 17th, here’s what you missed — it was a spook-tacular evening!

Our theme this month was Halloween, and our amazing decorating committee truly outdid themselves once again. The room was filled with festive touches, from pumpkins to cobwebs, setting the perfect scene for a night of fun and friendship.

We had so many wonderful guests come dressed in costume — everything from Pikachu and ballerinas to Thing 1 and Thing 2, Elphaba, and even a cowboy made an appearance!

One of the highlights of the evening was a special storytime with author Emily Jean Sanders, who read her delightful book “Bubbs in Space.” Everyone loved hearing the story straight from the author herself — thank you, Emily, for sharing your talent and time with us!

Our kitchen crew warmed everyone’s hearts (and bellies!) with delicious, hearty soups and tasty desserts.

A very special thank you goes out to Heather Loughery and Family for sponsoring this month’s event — for the second time this year! Heather has been part of Able Buddies NC since our very first dance, and she continues to bring joy and kindness to every event. We are so grateful for her ongoing support and friendship.

Next month’s theme is FRIENDSGIVING, and we can’t wait to celebrate together again!

If you’d like more information about our Family and Friends Nights, or if you’re interested in sponsoring an event in 2026, please reach out to Aileen at Aileen@AbleBuddiesNC.org.

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What you missed at our September Able Buddies NC Family and Friends Night!

September Community Safety Night Recap & October Preview

If you missed our September Community Safety–themed Able Buddies NC Family & Friends Night, you missed a fantastic event filled with learning, laughter, and community connections!

Our decorating committee set the tone for the evening, transforming the space into a welcoming and festive environment. A special thank-you goes out to our sponsor, Joe Powers Realty, who treated everyone to an incredible spread of homemade Italian food. From the lasagna to the cannoli and tiramisu, every dish was absolutely delicious!

The real highlight of the night, however, was our special guests—the Holly Ridge Police Department and Holly Ridge Fire & Rescue. Families had the chance to explore a Holly Ridge Police truck and a Fire truck up close, discovering all of the gadgets and equipment that help keep our community safe. Our guests also shared important tips about what to do in an emergency and gave us a live demonstration of how firefighters put on their full protective gear before heading into a dangerous situation. It was both educational and exciting, and the kids especially loved climbing into the vehicles!

We are so grateful to our community partners for taking the time to join us and for making the night both fun and memorable.

Coming Up Next: October Family & Friends Night 🎃

Mark your calendars—our next ABNC Family & Friends Night will be held on October 17th at Providence Baptist Church in Holly Ridge. The theme is Halloween, and we encourage everyone to come in fun costumes! Please keep in mind that masks and scary costumes should be avoided so we don’t frighten our younger guests.

We’re excited to celebrate together, and we can’t wait to see all the creative costumes!

If you’d like to join our mailing list or have any questions, please contact Aileen@ablebuddiesnc.org.

At Able Buddies NC, our Family & Friends Nights are about more than just fun—they’re about creating lasting connections and learning together. Thank you to everyone who makes these events possible, and we look forward to seeing you in October!