RORY MACLEAN
News Editor

There’s never been a better time to start drinking wine.

Six Saskatoon restaurants will be donating proceeds from wine sales over the month of March to the University of Saskatchewan Best Buddies program.

“It’s kind of like the Big Brothers program, but it’s for people with intellectual disabilities in the community,” said Thomas Le, a long-time volunteer.

The group has declared March Best Buddies Awareness Month and hopes to attract as much funding and as many new volunteers as possible.

Le says many people with intellectual disabilities become isolated after high school, making it hard to find friends their own age.

“Once people are done the special education program in high school there’s really no network for them anymore. What we do is try to create friendships and, through those friendships, create a community,” he said.

There are about 70 people in the program, including participants and volunteers. Buddy pairs meet two or more times every month and usually talk on the phone about once a week. About once a month they try to bring everyone together for a group activity like bowling or a potluck.

With the money raised through the wine promotion they hope to organize bigger events. For instance, they could rent a bus to go to a hockey game.

The restaurants, including Truffle’s, Calories, Souleio, Bliss, The Ivy and the Freehouse, have not committed a set amount per glass or bottle, but have offered to make a donation at the end of the month based on sales.

“Every drink that we sell has a different margin on it, so I can’t really say what it’s going to be until we see our sales at the end of the month,” said Edyta Siemimska, general manager of Souleio.

“It seemed like a really good cause,” she said.

Interest from the community, especially during their wine-based events like Free-Pour Fridays, has been strong, she said.

“A lot of people are asking us about it because of our posters.”

Siemimska said that helping out the Best Buddies program was a natural choice for Souleio.

“Part of our vision is to be not just a business in downtown Saskatoon but to be part of the community,” she said. “Taking part in all these different programs we hope to become a kind of force for education. I hate to sound stereotypical, but we are shaping tomorrow, right?”

If you ask some of the buddies, they will tell you there’s no better way to build community than to make a friend.

Adriane Watts, a first year U of S law student originally from Vancouver, just joined the program this year when she moved to Saskatoon. She’s paired up with Brad Kowalko, 24.

“The best part is getting to meet people that I probably wouldn’t get to meet otherwise,” she said.

Watts had previously spent time with developmentally disabled children, but she enjoys spending time with Kowalko because he is a little closer to her age.

“Brad can pretty much do the same things that I do,” she said. “He always kicks my butt playing video games, especially Super Mario.”

Watts says it took a little while for her and Kowalko to mesh. His initial shyness was evident during the interview. He spent much of it staring out the window and answered mostly in nods.

His mother, Terri, is glad he has something that gets him doing something social a few times a month.

“I find that after the high school years there’s segregation again,” she said. “Students kind of go their own way.”

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photo: Brent Poncelet