Chicago COY Program Book

WELCOME

Dear Friends of Best Buddies,

It is my privilege and honor to welcome you all to Chicago’s 2022 Champion of The Year Event. The Harold Washington Library is a monumental venue to celebrate the hard work and awareness raised by the Champion of the year candidates and to crown our 2022 Champion. As we gather here tonight and look toward an even more inclusive 2023, moving this volunteer movement forward has never been more important.

In the last year, our program continues to bounce back from the repercussions of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Many of our Best Buddies Jobs Program Participants are still dealing with the loss of their jobs permanently, temporarily and many placed on continued temporary leave with or without pay. We worked hard to bring together our participants, so they felt a sense of inclusion even though we were all physically isolated. We have continued our efforts of online career development sessions with mentors and have now been able to re-introduce more in-person networking to help our Participants secure new jobs. As our participants are able to reenter the workforce, we are working diligently to bring back the opportunities that they have had in the past and most importantly creating new employment positions. Your unconditional support and efforts to create these career openings continue to be more and more influential for the inclusion and development of our participants. In Chicago this past year, we have opened 8 new schools, impacting over 200 students, supported 12 job seekers in finding employment, and have trained 148 new leaders, providing 29 speaking engagements. The money raised here this evening will help us exceed these numbers for the coming year.

Best Buddies friendship program serves 110 Schools Chapters, has trained 39 Ambassadors, 126 Citizens matches, and impacts over 3,000 people in the Chicago Area by giving individuals with and without IDD the opportunity to create meaningful and long-lasting friendships and feel included in their community. Your ongoing support and recognition is what makes life-changing situations like these possible.

Thanks to all of you for attending and providing the financial and emotional support that helps create opportunities for oneto-one friendships, integrated employment, and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Without each of you, the success of an inclusive world would not be where it is today.

I would like to specifically thank our sponsors, including Area Wide Realty, JLL, Misericordia, Tito's, HMS Host, and Seyfarth Shaw, my fellow advisory board members, and Best Buddies staff who have helped make this event what it is this evening. To our Champions and Campaign Managers, your dedication to the mission, enthusiasm for the event, and willingness to help others is second to none.

I would like to thank each of you once again for joining and supporting the mission of Best Buddies International. Have a lovely rest of your evening celebrating the success of this year’s event, and we look forward to welcoming you back next year for the 2023 Champion of the Year Event

In Friendship, Morgan A. Olszewski Chicago Advisory Board Chair

About Champion of the Year

Champion of the Year unities the community's most active leaders in the name of inclusion. Through 10 weeks of raising funds and awareness for Best Buddies, our Champions will generate countless opportunities for friendship, jobs, and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The dollars raised through the Champion of the Year campaign will immediately be put to work through the launch of new friendships and employment opportunities. This is an enormous gift to children, teens, and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their families, and the community as a whole. Best Buddies’ friendship, jobs, and leadership programs now impact over 1,000 people in the Bay Area this movement could not happen without the support from people like you and me. So please know that when you give, it makes a huge difference.

LIVE AUCTION ITEMS

#201

Aikana Chicago: Experience dinner for 4 at the beautiful Aikana Chicago along with a stunning wine basket from the restaurant. A World-Inspired Pan-American Dining Experience: Influenced by Central & South American Cuisine, Aikana features an exclusive seasonal menu (that is locally sourced) & a handcrafted beverage program aiming to evoke Luxury and Delight for each guest. Located in Chicago’s West Loop. A Michelin Starred Beverage Progression: Champagne, White Wine, Red Wine and Dessert wine. Enjoy a selection of wines that you will only find featured out of a Michelin Starred Cellar to enjoy with a course dinner or at your own leisure!

#202

Chicago Boat Cruise: Get 8 people together and take a 3 Hour boat ride on Lake Michigan along with a cruise down the Chicago River. You will also get a booze basket to bring on your trip. Provided with some boat snacks, towels, and life jackets. Includes a captain along with a co-captain. Can anchor and swim etc.! Take it from Anne-Marie, who won this opportunity last year- "CJ truly performed 5-star service from start to end! This experience is one not to pass up!"

#203

Bear Down: Want to watch the Bears live rather than on television? Well then, get this! This auction item will provide you with extraordinary tickets to watch Herbert, Fields, and Montgomery run in a few touchdowns. Plus some exciting extras!

#204

New York Trip for Two: Take on the City That Never Sleeps! This package includes a Broadway show, tickets to see Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden, with dinner at either Sardi's or Sparks Steak House, all with a two night stay at the Conrad Hilton. You don't want to miss this item, it'll go in a New York Minute!

BidfromtheHeart

The Value of Your Donation Supports

Best Buddies helps form meaningful friendships, secure successful jobs, live independently, improve public speaking, self-advocacy, and communication skills, all while feeling valued by society

$10,000

Pre-Employment Transition Services: Help prepare 10 high school students for the workforce. Our Pre-Employment Transition Services build a foundation for students to begin their job search by walking them through job discovery, building a professional portfolio, and essential job readiness skills.

$7,500

More Than A Job: Underwrite the employment support that Best Buddies Jobs provides a person with IDD, allowing them to find a job, become financially independent, receive benefits and work alongside others in the community.

$5,000

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.

$2,500

Training Day: Fund an all day Ambassadors training session for up to 50 people with and without IDD, where attendees will gain the public speaking skills and confidence needed to champion inclusion throughout their community.

$1,000

Prepare Future Advocates: Give a student leader, Ambassador, or Jobs participant the opportunity to attend the annual Best Buddies Leadership Conference, where they will learn to be advocates for themselves and the larger IDD community

$250

It's A Match! Support a one to one friendship between someone and their peer, helping to build a mutually enriching connection that enhances the lives of program participants and their families.

$100

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

Champion Candidates

LaKia and Jeremiah decided to be champions because they feel that Best Buddies is a phenomenal organization that adds value to the lives of the young disabled. Simply put, “It Rocks!” Inclusion is incredibly important to them They note that 1 in 5 people in the U S are disabled and that we cannot just forget about 20% of Americans "We truly believe that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere

Seeking inclusion is a must. "

Robert is competing for Champion of the Year this year, with the help of his Campaign Manager, Morgan. He decided to become a Champion because he believes in the mission of Best Buddies and that everyone is responsible for building a better community for everyone and not just those who are most visible

Sophie is a member of the Elmhurst University Best Buddies chapter and is on their exec board. Sophie's good friend Isabelle Ketchum and her family, who have always opened their arms to Sophie, inspired her to get involved. She became a Champion to spread the word of inclusion to make sure that people like her are treated equally and welcomed no matter where they come from

This isn't Trace's first rodeo, Trace won the whole shebang back in 2019 He chose to do it again because he believes that everyone has a fair chance in life to do anything they put their minds to One of his favorite ways that Best Buddies makes an impact is by instilling confidence in each individual, developing friendships and mentorships, and providing job training to everyone.

Steve is a self-proclaimed "Newbie," but we don't hold that against him! Steve was introduced to Best Buddies through the Accenture Neurodiversity Group and found that BB aligns with his background and personal story after doing some research. His degree is in Sports Medicine and Exercise Physiology, and while at Guilford College, he helped devise training programs for Spina Bifida and Down’s Syndrome High School students. Now he is at Accenture building inclusion!

TraceNardi

SophieGreene

Jeremiah&Lakia Colquitt

RobertDuggan

SteveOmans

Champion Candidates

Jordan has been involved with Best Buddies for three years now and is a part of the Jobs program. Jordan works at The Shedd Aquarium and worked with Best Buddies to advocate for herself to get the accommodations she needs with her wheelchair. She hopes that BBIL will continue to work with her and other people with disabilities find and keep a job and to feel like an important person in their communities.

Kam made his way to Best Buddies through his wife, Lizzie Fay, who has been involved for over 15 years. Over that time, he has been consistently inspired by the benefits that Best Buddies provides. One of his favorite parts about Best Buddies is the employment opportunities, where he has seen participants find meaningful jobs with the support of Best Buddies.

Julie has been a middle school advisor for fourteen years, so she is no stranger to Best Buddies or our mission of inclusion! Her favorite memory with Best Buddies is when her chapter won Overall Chapter of the Year and were presented with the award on stage from Anthony Kennedy Shriver. Julie would like to see Best Buddies chapters at all of the schools throughout Illinois and is doing her part to make it a reality!

Louthor has been a part of Best Buddies for thirteen years now! Not only has he been a state ambassador before and gone to Leadership Conference, he is also a part of Citizens, Best Buddies' adult friendship program Being matched with his friend Andrew is his favorite Best Buddies memory! He is looking forward to continuing his work with Ambassadors by attending trainings and writing speeches while also looking for a job and doing fun things with Best Buddies!

Claire has been a part of Best Buddies for the past eight years, where she has been a college chapter member and served on the exec board while she was there. Last year, she started interning with Best Buddies in Illinois and is currently making disability awareness video lessons for elementary school students. She recently joined the Chicago Jobs program and is hoping to get a job in Chicago. To top it all off, she's become an Ambassador and spoke at the Friendship Walk!

Emma started off working for Best Buddies in Illinois and since then has continued to be a supporter, serving on the Champion Committee and now competiting for Champion of the Year! Her favorite part of the impact that Best Buddies makes is that each program touches on the critical pieces to have a meaningful life having a true friend, an opportunity to share your story and feel heard, a job to contribute to, and a safe space to live

JulieStone

ClaireToman

LouthorTobano

KamShah

JordanRoddewig

EmmaZagar

Campaign Managers

Andrew Roddewig

Isabelle Ketchum

Alyssa Niemic

Megan Coleman

Tamara Nardi

Molly Wiesman

Topher Zheng

Lucy JToman ada AThompson

ndy Sullivan

Dana Wax

Morgan Olszewski

Thank you to our Advisory Board and Committee Members

you for your commitment and helping our programs grow all year long!

Morgan Olszewski, Chair AIKANA Chicago

Kate Abbatacola Affirm

Elizabeth Fay Lizzy Fay LLC

Sarah Nau United Airlines

Allison Churchfield, Vice Chair AbbVie

Chris Chang Amazon

Gang CrossCountry Mortgage

Joey Nauman Envoy Global

Dana Wax Best Buddies

Megan Dolan JLL

Labetti CCS Fundraising

Charles Scharf Goldstreet Partners

Wiesman Peters & Associates

Champion of the Year Committee Members

Meghan Gauen

Fundraising

Zagar

Thank

Thank You To Our In Kind Sponsors

Our 1st year supporting Best Buddies Area Wide Realty prioritizes cultivating and developing a workplace that reflects inclusivity, development and growth of this charity!

Area Wide Realty is a proud sponsor of tonight's Best Buddies in Illinois Champion of the Year Gala Our foundation is strengthened on the premise of harnessing our differences to create an inclusive and progressive environment in which everyone feels valued. When our talents are being fully utilized is when our organization’s goals are met - but only achievable when everyone plays their fullest part.

C H I C A G O

Thank you to our Circle of Champions and all that they have done for Best Buddies over the years!

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BEST BUDDIES THANKS YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF OUR MISSION OF INCLUSION!

C H I C A G O