No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. 

The concept behind a "Buddy Bench" is to encourage kindness and inclusiveness, both for elementary school students and within special community spaces. Traditionally placed on a playground, a Buddy Bench gives a child a place to sit when they're feeling lonely or want someone to talk to — a quiet signal that lets other students and staff recognize the need, come sit beside them, and offer comfort and friendship. As our program has grown, that same spirit now extends beyond the classroom, bringing Buddy Benches into community parks and other gathering places throughout Colorado, so that same moment of connection can happen wherever people come together.

R2K’s Buddy Bench adds an even more special layer to this concept. Ours was created in honor of Barbara and Patrick Pellouchoud, our founder's late parents. Each bench is customized with an illustration of the mascot of each school sitting beside a silver fox on a bed of roses. Our community benches feature our mascot along with a beautiful red fox. (Patrick’s children lovingly called him “The Silver Fox” because of his gorgeous shock of grey hair and Barbara’s favorite flowers were roses. Barbara always wished she had red hair so we honored her wish.)

Any school or community space that desires a custom bench for its playground can request one by filling out the form below. All benches are provided to schools at no cost courtesy of R2K key sponsor, Epiphany. 

Nominate your school for the next buddy bench

Please note, we currently can only accept nominations within the Denver Metro Area at this time.

(* = required)