You’ve Got a Friend

It was a rainy Sunday at Collegiate, but Carter Williams ’24 had a friend who still wanted to play outside. A Sophomore at the time, Carter was volunteering with the John Maloney Project, a program where children with autism socialize with Upper School students on Collegiate’s campus. A slanting rain like a great gray curtain swung around the playground above Grover Jones Field, and Carter and the buddy he was paired with went out into it, splashing in puddles, kicking a soccer ball around, laughing. There wasn’t any concern about homework or his clothes getting wet. They were just friends, playing in the rain.

For Carter, that’s the essence of volunteering: connecting with people on a personal level. “When you’re out there with the kids, you’re always happy, always looking on the bright side,” he says. “The ultimate goal is fun. I’ve never looked at it as me hanging out with someone who is different. I just think of it as playing with other students.”

Carter and Abby Craig ’24 now serve as co-chairs on the John Maloney Project. They work to connect Upper School students with participants at the Autism Society of Central Virginia and, of course, they have fun on Sundays playing with children, who range in age from 5 to 22. The experience is mutually beneficial, and the Upper Schoolers get back as much as they give. “For me, giving my time to other students is my love language. It’s how I choose to give back to the community,” Abby says. “And it’s more than just giving your time and helping kids. There’s this indescribable feeling in return — knowing that you did something good and knowing that you’re helping someone. And it’s not just with the John Maloney Project. No matter what you volunteer for, you’re helping people and you’re connecting with people. You never know what you’re going to get out of it.”

Initially called Open Gym and renamed after Maloney’s passing in 2015, the John Maloney Project officially began on Sunday afternoons in the spring of 2006 with Upper School volunteers eager to pair up with buddies with autism and spend time together. Supervised by Upper School French teacher Holly Fairlamb, these afternoons serve as a time for parents to chat and network while their children play in a space where they are welcome and free to be themselves. “You really form an important bond with your buddies,” Carter says. “You get excited to see your buddies and they’re always happy to see you. And you really never know what you’re going to get into. We’ve played with Nerf guns, we’ve played kickball, we walk the track. The joy is in the randomness.”

At the end of each season’s sessions, there’s a ceremonial party held for the participants at the Autism Society of Central Virginia. It’s a way to say goodbye to each other, but it’s also a way to celebrate the bonds made. Students connecting with students, forming a bridge between two communities. “Each of the buddies is given a trophy,” Abby explains, “and that’s really special for them — to be celebrated and recognized in that way. It’s our way of saying we appreciate them.” In other words, it’s the mark of a good friendship.