This eight-week philanthropic competition for Best Buddies in Palm Beach celebrates Best Buddies’ participants and community leaders throughout the Palm Beach & Treasure Coast communities who have been nominated as “Champions.” Their joint goal is to increase awareness for the mission of Best Buddies while simultaneously raising funds to sustain our programs. Concluding the eight week campaign, all candidates and their mission partners are being honored tonight at the Champion of the Year Gala. The Champion candidate who raises the most donations, surpassing all rivals in the competition, will take home the Crown of Inclusion and title of Champion of the Year 2022.
Funds raised by the Champions and proceeds from the Gala will directly benefit the local programs of Best Buddies in Palm Beach to create more friendships for students and adults, integrated employment, develop leadership opportunities, and open new programs for hundreds of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities throughout Palm Beach and the Treasure Coast.
Thank you for supporting our Champion of the Year gala!
Tricia Williams
Area Director, Best Buddies, Palm Beach
All donations are tax-deductible under all Florida laws of tax deductible donations for 501(c)(3) organizations.
If you know someone who has a heart for the mission of inclusion, please email Area Director Tricia Williams for a nomination application at triciawilliams@bestbuddies.org or phone 561.254.4330.
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING YOUR CHAMPION!
Chelsea Vanadia Andrew Burnstine Mark Wetherington Nishant Patel (2021) Brody Quilleon Blake Quilleon Tanya Vaughn Patterson Sherene Stenger Samantha Zanghi Paige Mincieli Circle of CHAMPIONSCircle of CHAMPIONS Best Buddies will be forever grateful for all friends whom have previously accepted the Champion challenge. Kathy Casper Anna Berger (2020) Cameron Martin Chris Hollyfield James Hunter Jenna Maringione Andy Minoie Derek Newborn David Oliver Elizabeth Salazar Carrie Ann Texter (2020) Stormy Wilder Anna Berger, 2020 Grand Champion with Mission Partner Marjorie Ambroise
Best Buddies 2022 Featured Buddy Pair
AshlynZubriski &PageWeinstein
Ashlyn and Page are two Best Buddies participants who are matched through the adult Citizens program in Palm Beach. These two are ice cream aficionados that love to spend as much one on one time together as they are participating in Best Buddies. Their friendship has blossomed over time and their friends and family can see the difference they make in each others lives. From the moment they met they knew they had something special. They just instantly connected.
Many thanks to Soliman Productions for video production.
“We just instantly connected”
Gala Planning Committee
Palm Beach Advisory Board
Jeri Muoio, Ph.D
Roisin Capparelli
Board
Cities for
High
Adras
Traurig
Honorary Chair Jena Sims Koepka Sponsorship Chair Dan Labow PR Chair Kathleen Casper Logistic Chair – Pooja Navani
Great
All Advisory
Chair
Jupiter Community
School Tyrone
Greenberg
Spencer Brown Buddy Ambassador Sarah Christy SMC Communications Rick Colandreo Current Builders Michael DeDonno Florida Atlantic University Debra Larsson Florida Power & Light Dan Mangru Theatre Ears Sarah Martin Experience Epic, LLC Deborah Searcy Florida Atlantic University James Dawson - Holland & Knight
Live Auction | Silent Auction | In-Kind Donors
All Sports Grill
Apricot & Olive
Azul Fashion Art & Design Inc.
Boca Raton Museum of Art, Café Chardonnay, Palm Beach Gardens
Café Sapori
Celine Thibault
Chipotle, Boca Raton Christian & Deborah Searcy
Cinepolis in Jupiter
Cod & Capers Seafood Marketplace
Coopers Hawk
Dan Mangru
David Quilleon
Debra Larsson Debra Wallace Impala Skate
Jane Katz, MA
Jena Sims Koepka Jump Twist Ninja
Jupiter High School
Just Salads
Jutta Morris
Kelli Alvord
Kendra Scott, Palm Beach Gardens
Lilly Pulitzer, Palm Beach Gardens
Lindsay Hunter Frank Art, Locke Williams Studios Marco Terminesi
Miranda Capperelli
New Path Health Chiropractic
Okeehelee BMX Park Olive Garden
On Your Mark Performance Center
Palm Beach Opera
Paramount Pictures
PGA National Resort & Spa Pyure Aveda Salon, Wellington Rick Macci Tennis Academy
Rocco's Tacos & Tequila Bar - West Palm Beach
Rohi’s Readery Salon Aquatica Sarah & Michael Wacha Sarah Christy Sea Turtle Adventures Sienna's Soaps Stonewood Grill & Tavern TangledUp Design Co.
The Breakers Hotel & Resort
The Chocolate Spectrum
The Woods, Jupiter Trump International Golf Club, Jupiter, Zen Sweat Spa
Mission
Best Buddies International is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one to one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development and inclusive living for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
Who We Serve
The IDD Community that Best Buddies serves includes, but is not limited to, people with Down syndrome, autism, fragile X syndrome, Williams syndrome, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury and other undiagnosed disabilities.
Programs
Best Buddies programs sit on the four key mission pillars below:
How Donations = Programmatic Support
Gift of Friendship
Bring together people with and without IDD for friendships that cultivate community wide social inclusion by funding a new school, citizens or corporate chapter in the Best Buddies Friendship program.
Party With A Purpose
Create a magical evening where buddy pairs celebrate and have fun at the Best Buddies Friendship Ball, similar to a prom for our middle school, high school and college members.
Training Day
Fund an Ambassador training session for up to 50 people with and without IDD, giving them the public speaking skills to champion for inclusion throughout Palm Beach.
Prepare Future Advocates
Give a student leader, Ambassador, or Faculty Advisor the opportunity to attend the annual Best Buddies Leadership Conference, where they will learn to advocate for themselves and the IDD community.
Gift of Chapter Dues
Help alleviate a high school or college chapter of its $350 annual dues which provides a library of online resources, membership management program, use of the Best Buddies name and logo, and liability insurance.
It’s A Match!
Support a one-to-one friendship between someone with IDD and his or her peer, helping to build a mutually enriching connection that enhances the lives of program participants and their families.
You’ve Got Mail!
Fund an online e Buddies friendship between a person with and a person without IDD. The “e pal” program allows participants to become more social and technology-literate, which may lead to more advanced career opportunities.
Prep For Success
Provide an hour of job coaching, where an employment candidate with IDD has the opportunity to practice interview skills, prepare for job readiness, or receive on the job support so he or she can excel in a new placement.
Teach Inclusion At An Early Age
Supply instruction for interactive activities, lesson plans and tool kits for school students in a Best Buddies chapter so that they can learn about acceptance and inclusion at a young age.
$5,000$3,000 $2,500
$1,000$350 $250
$100 $50 $25
Palm Beach Florida School Programs
COLLEGES Florida Atlantic University- Jupiter Campus Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton Campus Southeastern University at Christ Fellowship HIGH SCHOOLS MIDDLE SCHOOLS ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS American Heritage Atlantic Cardinal Newman Dreyfoos Forest Hill John I Leonard Jupiter Martin County Mountaineers School Olympic Heights Oxbridge Academy Palm Beach Central Palm Beach Day Palm Beach Gardens Palm Beach Lakes Park Vista Royal Palm Saint Andrew's Saint John Paul II Santaluces Seminole Ridge South Fork Wellington West Boca Raton William T. Dwyer Eagles Landing Congress Wellington Landings Conniston Okeeheelee Christa McAuliffe Crestwood Emerald Cove Watson B. Duncan BAK Polo Park Everglades Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Allapattah Flats k-8 C.o. Taylor/Kirklane
Volunteer OpportunitiesVolunteer Opportunities
Meet monthly with other community leaders who are guiding the vision and fundraising efforts of Best Buddies in Palm Beach, such as programmatic expansions, event development, sponsorships, grant requests, recruiting volunteers and building the people pipeline.
CITIZENS
FRIENDSHIP WALK
Year-round one-to-one friendship match for adults older than age 25. You choose the fun you want to enjoy together, learn from each other, teach each other. Background check required for all participants.
FRIENDSHIP WALK
Beginning in November, meet monthly with other community volunteers who are dreaming up the fun of our Palm Beach Friendship Walk such as recruiting teams, games, prizes, activities, food, entertainment, logistics, weekly challenges. Event typically held in April.
ADVISORY BOARD CHAMPION OF THE YEAR
Meet monthly with other community volunteers who are dreaming up the glamour of our Palm Beach Champion of the Year Gala for 2022 that includes recruiting Champions, Mission Partners, mission moment, silent auction, live auction, entertainment, décor, venue selection, Champion training session, and kickoff party. Event typically held in Oct. Nov.
We would love to have you join us and further your involvement with Best Buddies. If you are interested in joining one of our planning committees or simply learning more about Best Buddies, please contact Tricia Williams, Palm Beach Area Director, by email: triciawilliams@bestbuddies.org or by phone: 561.972.5312 *501.
B&W Structural
THANK YOU TO OUR PRESENTING SPONSOR
THANK YOU TO OUR PRINTING & IN-KIND SPONSORS
B&W Structural
B&W Structural
Food. Fun. FRIENDSHIP! www.bestbuddiesfriendshipwalk.org/palmbeach The Best Buddies Friendship Walk is the leading walk in the country supporting inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (also known as IDD). Form your team now to get in on the “Party in the Park” FUN! Challenges and prizes for corporate, community and school teams. Raise $50 for Best Buddies, get a Walk t shirt. Additional prizes available locally and nationally. 4/22/23 BALLPARK OF THE PALM BEACHES
WI-FI NETWORK : GUEST WIFI PASSWORD: COY2022
