2024 BBCA San Diego COY Program Book by Best Buddies International

S A N D I E G O

Event Overview

Welcome Friends of Best Buddies!

As we enter this holiday season, my heart is filled with gratitude for the remarkable impact we are making together through Best Buddies Thank you for joining tonight at the 2024 Champion of the Year Gala! Your enthusiasm and commitment drive the success of thi event and play a vital role in fostering inclusion, friend and opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) across San Diego

Supporting Best Buddies is deeply personal for me. I have seen firsthand the transformative power of this mission through my daughter, Kylie, whose friendships in her Best Buddies chapter have brought such joy and meaning to her life. I believe so strongly in our cause and am honored to lead this organization in creating more opportunities for understanding, acceptance, and connection in our community.

Since launching our Jobs program last year, Best Buddies San Diego has empowered 12 individuals with IDD to secure meaningful employment across a range of industries or to develop the professional skills needed to reach their career goals. As a business leader, I’m thrilled that my company, High Flying Foods, hired a Best Buddies Jobs participant in the Bay Area this year and is now looking to expand hiring here in San Diego

Our reach continues to grow with 22 Friendship program chapters, 18 trained Ambassadors, and 24 Citizen matches. These programs provide individuals with and without IDD the chance to build lasting friendships and help create communities rooted in inclusivity and respect

I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to this year’s partners: our presenting sponsor Erasca, our gold sponsor Sodexo, and our silver sponsors High Flying Foods and Intact Technologies. Your support is invaluable, and it’s a privilege to have the backing of companies that believe in inclusion and the power of employment for individuals with IDD. My thanks also go to my fellow advisory board members and the dedicated Best Buddies staff for their tireless work to make tonight a success And to our Champions, Mission Partners, and Campaign Managers your commitment to our mission and your dedication to making a difference inspire us all

Together, we are building a brighter and more inclusive future in San Diego. Thank you for being here, for believing in this mission, and for being part of the Best Buddies family.

Sincerely,

Kimberly Hazard

San Diego Advisory Board Chair

Silent Auction Online Bidding Process

How to register for the auction:

Text SDCOY24 to 243725

How to find an item:

You can find items by pressing any one of the buttons on the main menu or by using the search bar to find a specific item or category

How to bid on an item:

Find the item you’d like to bid on online 1. Select the item and press “bid” 2. Place your bid and set a maximum bid 3.

How to find the items you bid on:

Items you have bid on can be found at Menu > Your Activity

How to set up automatic biding:

After submitting a bid, you will be prompted to set a max bid. When you’ve been outbid, it will automatically bid on your behalf up to the max bid amount you set, using the bid increments provided

How to tell if you were outbid:

You will receive a text message when you’ve been outbid Alternatively, navigate to “your activity” to check the status of your bids

Online Donation Process

How to donate:

Go to Bidpal.net/SDCOY24 or click on the text you received at checkin

Click on the "Donate Now" button

Choose your amount or easily enter a custom one on your own

Confirm your donation - you may be prompted to enter a credit card at this time if you did not provide one at registration

Bid From the Heart

The Value of Your Donation

Best Buddies helps individuals with IDD form meaningful friendships, secure competitive jobs, live independently, and improve self-advocacy skills. Learn more about how your donation can equate to programmatic support.

$5,000

• Give the 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

• 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

• Give a student leader, Ambassador, or Jobs participant the opportunity to attend the annual Best Buddies Leadership Conference at Indiana University. BBLC brings together participants and volunteers from around the world, empowering them with the skills and resources to create inclusive schools, workplaces, and communities.

$500

• Host a Citizens event for adults with and without IDD, bringing together up to 50 people for friendship and connection.

• Provide shirts for 50 BBLC attendees to show their California pride at IU.

$250

• Transportation for at least 2 ambassadors to give public speeches and hone their advocacy skills.

• The cost of a pizza party for a school chapter to celebrate their inclusion efforts

Sponsors!

2023 Champion of the Year

Kimberly Hazard - Raised $57,231 for Best Buddies in San Diego!

Champion Candidates

Chrissy Budsock

Christopher Cini Fiona Connellwood

Wesley Cooksy Meg Heidrick-Barnes

Jayden Orta

Darcy Miramontes & Marlo Roberts

Layne Shroyer

Kevin Stevenson

Julia Toronczak

Jeslyn Tran

Mission Partners & Campaign Managers

Vesna Vasich Kailene Hansen Kylie & Kimberly Hazard

Bella Stanger

SuzanneArroyo-McGuire& DawnYocum

VictoriaAlexander& AdrianaGarcia

GriffinRoberts& DianeMiramontes

AustinShroyer& LaurenShroyer

Hayley Stevenson

Michael Toronczak

Cassidy Ritter

A community of supporters bridging gaps so that everyone is included.

Be the Bridge. Donate Monthly!

Everyone deserves to feel like a contributing member of society. YOU can create a pathway from isolation to inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) through a monthly gift. Join The Bridge and connect these individuals to much-needed opportunities through Best Buddies’ friendship, job, leadership development, and inclusive living programs!

200 million people have IDD. Enrich lives & make a lasting impact for as little as $10 per month!

FRIENDSHIPS

VISION ONE-TO-ONE

MISSION HISTORY

WHO WE SERVE

We are the world's largest organization dedicated to ending the social, physical, and economic isolation of the 200 million people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Founded in 1989 by Anthony K Shriver, Best Buddies has grown from one original chapter to nearly 2,900 chapters worldwide, positively impacting the lives of over 1.25 million people with and without IDD Best Buddies programs engage participants in each of the 50 states and 54 countries around the world. The IDD community that Best Buddies serves includes, but is not limited to, people with Down syndrome, autism, Fragile X, Williams syndrome, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, and other undiagnosed disabilities.

Best Buddies International is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, inclusive living, and family support for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

To put Best Buddies out of business. Best Buddies envisions a world where people with IDD are so successfully integrated into schools, workplaces, and communities that its current efforts and services will be unnecessary. Until that vision becomes a reality, the organization will continue to educate students, community members, corporations, and employers about the emotional, functional, and natural needs and abilities of people with IDD

San Diego Friendship Chapters & Jobs Placements

Elementary School

Chapters

Garden Road Elementary School

Lemon Crest Elementary School

Perry Elementary School

High School Chapters

Academy of Our Lady of Peace

Carlsbad High School

Cathedral Catholic High School

Coronado High School

Del Norte High School

Eastlake High School

El Camino High School

Escondido High School

Grossmont High School

Pacific Ridge School

Rancho Bernardo High School

Santana High School

Torrey Pines High School

West Hills High School

Westview High School

Middle School

Chapters

Bernardo Heights

Middle School

Coronado Middle School

College Chapters

California State University, San Marcos

San Diego State University

Employer Partners

Department of Rehabilitation

Jersey Mike's JLL

Job Options

Office Depot

Sodexo Live!

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

One-to-One Friendship

JOIN A CHAPTER

Join an existing school chapter! We have clubs at schools with & without special education programs.

START A CHAPTER

Be an inclusion leader by starting a chapter! Receive support from Best Buddies staff every step of the way.

JOIN CITIZENS (18+)

Make a friend while participating in inclusive activities with adults with and without IDD in your local area.

JOIN E-BUDDIES

Integrated Employment

HOST A MOCK INTERVIEW

Conduct a practice interview for a jobseeking participant. We'll provide the interview questions, you ask away!

JOIN A CAREER PANEL

Chat with Best Buddies participants about your job and offer advice on how to enter into your career field.

TEACH A JOB SKILL

Promote workplace readiness by teaching job skills to participants who are seeking competitive employment.

INVOLVE YOUR EMPLOYER

Share the mission by encouraging your employer to participate in Best Buddies events and programs.

Leadership Development

BECOME AN AMBASSADOR

Attend an ambassador training to learn speech writing, public speaking, and advocacy skills.

BE A SPEECH COACH

Attend a training as a speech coach to support an individual on their journey to becoming an ambassador.

Signature

BRING AN AMBASSADOR TO YOUR COMMUNITY

Invite an ambassador to speak about inclusion at your school or workplace!

HOST A TRAINING

Get a group together to level up your leadership. We provide the content, you lead the training!

Events & Advisory Board

JOIN A COMMITTEE

Support the event planning process by joining a committee. Assist with logistics, publicity, sponsorships, and more!

ATTEND THE FRIENDSHIP WALK

TheBestBuddiesFriendshipWalkistheleading walkinthecountrysupportinginclusionforpeople withintellectualanddevelopmentaldisabilities(also knownasIDD).Registertodayat BestBuddiesFriendshipWalk.org!

JOIN A LOCAL ADVISORY BOARD

Advisory board members commit to a two-year term where they utilize their skills and connections to expand our reach at the local level. *There is an application and interview process for this volunteer opportunity