Dear Friends, This eight-week philanthropic competition for Best Buddies in Central Florida celebrates Best Buddies’ participants and community leaders throughout our Central Florida 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 2023. Funds raised by the Champions and proceeds from the Gala will directly benefit the local programs of Best Buddies in Central Florida 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 Central Florida. Thank you for supporting our Champion of the Year gala!
Area Director
All donations are tax-deductible under all Florida laws of tax deductible donations for 501(c)(3) organizations.
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Thank You To Our Sponsors!
Thank You To Our Sponsors!
Thank You To Our Sponsors!
The Brooks Family The Concelman Family Event Planning Committee Event Chair, Fabio Zacco A special thank you to the BNYM Best Buddies volunteers & committee members
Bid From the Heart The Value of Your Donation Supports Best Buddies helps form meaningful friendships, secure successful jobs, live independently, improve public speaking, self-advocacy and communications skills, all while feeling valued by society. $10,000 • The Best Buddies Friendship Ball invites people with IDD to a memorable community dance; an experience from which they may otherwise be excluded. Create a magical evening where buddy pairs celebrate and have fun $7,500 • Underwrite the employment support that Best Buddies Jobs provides a person with IDD, allowing him or her to find a job, become financially independent, receive benefits and work alongside others in the community $5,000 • 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 $2,500 • Fund an all day Ambassadors Training session for up to 50 people with and without IDD, where attendees will gain public speaking skills and confidence needed to champion for inclusion throughout their community $1,000 • Give a student leader, ambassador or jobs participant the opportunity to attend Best Buddies Leadership Conference, where he or she will learn to advocate for him or herself and the larger IDD community $250 • 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
2022 Champion of the Year
Rob’s Rockstars We are the Nelson’s, and we are honored to be a part of the Best Buddies community. The meaning of this organization goes so much deeper than just friendships and inclusion, they are more like family to us. We are able to raise money and awareness for this special cause, and it goes beyond fundraising, it’s more about building a foundation for our dear friends to be able to live a life just like everyone else. Our 2022 campaign as Rob’s Rockstars was absolutely incredible! John and I had the privilege and honor of sponsoring our dear friend Rob Concelman. Not a day went by that we weren’t texting, emailing, calling, or out campaigning to reach our goal. We couldn’t be more ecstatic to announce that we were crowned the 2022 Grand Champions of the Year and raised over $85,000 for this incredible cause. I was always raised to give back to the world. To “pay it forward” even if you don’t have the money. John and I are so grateful, from the bottom of our hearts to everyone that supported us along the way, and to all of you who joined us at the gala last year to witness this incredible moment. We are overwhelmed with gratitude! “We make a living by what we get, We make a life by what we give…”
Champions
Brittnee Coyne
Leslie Haynes
Marvin Fung
Alex Roach
Tom Stephenson
Fabio Zacco
Mission Partners
Justin Isaac
David Lenaway
Elyse Mundelein
Harold Torres
Caitlyn Williamson
Auction Donor List 4Rivers Andrea Leeds Annie Russell Theater Best Buddies International Beth’s Burgers The Boathouse Bosphorous Turkish Cuisine PHOTO CAN Bravoz Entertainment Center GO HERE Buff City Soap Busch Gardens Butterfly World The Brown Family Cason Photography Cheesecake Factory Celeste Hotel Central Florida Community Arts Chalk It Up Chef Art Smith’s Homecoming Chuys Cici Hyatt Brown Museum of Arts Clearwater Marine Aquarium Coastal Charcuterie Creations Costco Collin’s Dental Crayola Experience Darden A Day Away Kayak Tours Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts DubsDread El Potro Elerick & Elerick, PA El Zocalo Ethos Vegan Kitchen Everblades
Francesco's Ristorante Fun Spot Gideon’s Bakehouse Gigi Harris Glass Knife Hair by Cheri Hangry Bison Heaths Health Foods Hollerbach’s German Restaurant House of Blues The Isaac Family Jaleo by Jose Andres Jacksonville Zoo Jeni's Ice Cream John’s Crazy Socks Kennedy Space Center Layton Sports Cards Lecky-Springer Music Studio Loggerhead Distillery Lush Luxury Touch Detailing Maestros Hair Studio Market to Table Marissa Nelson Marlows Tavern Mike’s Deli Museum of Arts and Science Museum of Illusion Orlando Museum of Science and Industry Natalie Pietzak Photography and Design Orlando City Orlando Philharmonic Tickets Orlando Star Flyer and Slingshot
Auction Donor List Pampered Chef- Michelle Metheny Perfection Polishing and Auto Detailing Pirates Cove Adventure Gold Planet Hollywood Revel Nail Rifle Paper Company Ripley’s Believe It or Not PHOTO CAN Ritz Theater GO HERE Rescue Pressure Washing Rosen Shingle Creek Sanford Homebrew Shop Scentsy Sonnys BBQ Space Coast Sauces Splitsville in Disney Springs Stefano's Trattoria Suzanne Gilbert Sweetwater Car Wash Tap Room Tara Mia Texas Roadhouse Sanford Universal Orlando University of South Florida Venetian Bay Golf Club and Spa Walt Disney World Golf Winter Springs Performing Arts Center Wonder Works YIP Fitness
This Year's Entertainment My name is Christina Hundley and I am a Best Buddies Global Ambassador and participant at the University of South Florida (USF). I gained my independence after joining Best Buddies, which helped me gain friends too. My Best Buddies’ friendships carried me through high school and now through college at USF where I am a part of the STAGES (Successful Transition After Graduation for Exceptional Students) program. With the support of my Best Buddies’ friendships, I gained the confidence to find a job at the Fresh Food Company at USF where I’ve worked for the past 11 years.
Our mission is to inspire, create and enhance the entertainment experience while presenting the highest quality of artistry, athleticism, and educational programs for the community of central Orlando.
Walk. Celebrate. Support.
04.27.24 9:30am | Lake Eola Park 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). BESTBUDDIESFRIENDSHIPWALK.ORG/YOURSTATEHERE
Ericka Sanchez, Area Director 407-898-0787 | ErickaSanchez@bestbuddies.org