Event Overview 6:00 PM Cocktail Reception and Silent Auction 7:00 PM Dinner is served 7:20 PM Program begins 7:45 PM Silent Auction closes 8:30 PM Silent & Live Auction checkout opens 9:00 PM The Grand Champion is announced!
Silent Auction Online Bidding Process How to register for the auction: Text SFCOY23 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: 1. Find the item 2. Select it 3. Press on bid 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/SFCOY23 or click on the text you received at check-in 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
Welcome Friends of Best Buddies! I extend my heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering enthusiasm and active involvement in the 2023 Champion of The Year Gala! This year, we find ourselves at the magnificent venue of the San Francisco InterContinental Hotel to celebrate our remarkable candidates and crown our Grand Champion of the Bay Area. We are so grateful that you joined us for this memorable evening that will help us serve more individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Our Best Buddies Jobs program continues to flourish, helping individuals with IDD secure employment and gain independence. In the current year, we take pride in having empowered 69 individuals from the Bay Area Jobs program to secure positions in diverse competitive fields. Our relentless efforts have been dedicated to assisting individuals with IDD in finding careers that align with their unique skills and passions. Looking ahead to 2024, our ambition is to aid an additional 11 individuals in realizing their career dreams. The funds we raise tonight will be instrumental in making this aspiration a reality! Our Friendship program now spans across 40 chapters, with a dedicated team of 59 trained Ambassadors and 18 Citizen matches. Best Buddies continues to leave an impact on over 12,000 people in the Bay Area, granting both those with and without IDD the opportunity to cultivate meaningful, enduring friendships while fostering a sense of inclusion within their communities. The event tonight will propel us toward achieving our objectives of launching 10 new school chapters, training 10 Ambassadors, and facilitating 13 more Citizen matches. Personally, I was just recently matched through Citizens with my buddy, Nate, and I wholeheartedly encourage each of you to consider becoming part of this transformative experience. I would like to offer special recognition to our esteemed sponsors, including our Presenting Sponsors Waymo & Genentech, my fellow advisory board members, and the dedicated Best Buddies staff whose unwavering commitment has played an integral role in the resounding success of this event. To our Champions and Mission Partners, your unwavering dedication to our mission, infectious enthusiasm for this event, and willingness to lend a helping hand to others are deeply appreciated.
In Friendship, Ken Seto
Ken Seto Bay Area Advisory Board Chair
Thank You To Our Sponsors! Presenting Partners
Gold Partners
Silver Partners
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Thank You T O
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D O N O R S
Named in honor of Anthony’s aunt, Rosemary Kennedy, Team Rosemary is Best Buddies’ major-giving society dedicated to providing life-changing opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) through the promotion of life-long friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, and inclusive living. The contributions of Team Rosemary members empower us to create transformative opportunities and foster inclusivity for individuals with IDD. Friedhelm Blobel, Ph.D. • Patricia Bristow • Matt Chapman Sayed Darwish • Linda Goldstein • Kevin Lint Kathryn Stivers • Glenda Valero
The Bridge is a community of devoted Best Buddies supporters, formed when individuals commit to a monthly gift, dedicated to building connections between people with and without IDD. This community of supporters bridges the gap so that individuals of all abilities are included in society. Their generosity empowers us to build meaningful connections between individuals with and without IDD, creating a more inclusive world. Adrian Funnel • Linda Goldstein • Kevin Lint • Michael Lowpensky Henry Milich • Jeremy Edward Mora • Kelly Petersen Volodymyr Tomenko • Roberta M. Zarea
2022 Champion of the Year Kevin Lint - Raised over $31,851 for Best Buddies in the Bay Area!
Bay Area Friendship Chapters & Jobs Placements Elementary School Chapters
Jobs Placements
-Foster City Elementary School -Ortega Elementary School
-Accenture -Avid -Best Buddies International -Bon Appétit at Google -Chili's -City of South San Francisco- Siebecker Center -City of South San Francisco-REAL Program -Civic Edge Consulting -Club Sport Fit -Cushman and Wakefield -ESFM @ Google X -First Union Bank -Flagship at Facebook -HomeGoods -JLL @ Google -Marshalls -Mod Pizza -Natixis Investment Managers -Nike -Oakland Athletics -Pacific Workers' Compensation Law Center -Presidio Golf Course -Safeway -Special Olympics, Northern California -Support for Families of Children with Disabilities -T.J.Maxx -Trader Joe's -UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland -Whiting Turner -Whole Foods -Xactly Corporation
Middle School Chapters
-Albany Middle School -Elmhurst Middle School -Windsor Middle School High School Chapters
-Albany High School -Berkeley High School -Branham High School -Burlingame High School -California High School -Cupertino High School -De Anza High School -Del Mar High School -Dublin High School -Evergreen Valley High School -Galileo Academy -Gunn High School -Hillsdale High School -Leigh High School -Los Altos High School -Lowell High School -Marin Academy -Mission San Jose High School -Montgomery High School -Northgate High School -Palo Alto High School -Prospect High School -Santa Rosa High School -Saratoga High School -Sequoia High School -The Branson School -Westmont High School -Wilcox High School -Willow Glen High School -Windsor High School -Woodside High School College Chapters
-University of San Francisco
Candidates
Jaime Bloom
Sarah Coyne
Athenna Crosby
Marcia Hutchinson
Allison Lettiere
Clay Maksymiuk
Edgar Osorio
Connor Owens
Paul Park
Evan Roth
Ken Seto
BJ White
Mission Partners
Aaron Silverman
Rick Takeuchi
Saida Mahoney
Nate Major
Nat Spring
Larry Larkin
John Hammond
Lauren Potter
Victor Ashaolu
Jason Toy
Wesley Lam
Amanda Bevilacqua
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Auction Consultant
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ONE-TO-ONE FRIENDSHIPS
INTEGRATED EMPLOYMENT
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
INCLUSIVE LIVING
HISTORY
MISSION
We are the world's largest organization
Best Buddies International is a nonprofit 501(c)
dedicated to ending the social, physical, and
(3) organization dedicated to establishing a
economic isolation of the 200 million people
global volunteer movement that creates
with intellectual and developmental disabilities
opportunities for one-to-one friendships,
(IDD). Founded in 1989 by Anthony K. Shriver,
integrated employment, leadership
Best Buddies has grown from one original
development, and inclusive living for
chapter to nearly 2,900 chapters worldwide,
individuals with intellectual and developmental
positively impacting the lives of over 1.25
disabilities (IDD).
million people with and without IDD. Best Buddies programs engage participants in each of the 50 states and 54 countries around the world.
VISION 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
WHO WE SERVE
current efforts and services will be unnecessary. Until that vision becomes a
The IDD community that Best Buddies serves
reality, the organization will continue to
includes, but is not limited to, people with
educate students, community members,
Down syndrome, autism, Fragile X, Williams
corporations, and employers about the
syndrome, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain
emotional, functional, and natural needs and
injury, and other undiagnosed disabilities.
abilities of people with IDD.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES One-to-One Friendship JOIN A CHAPTER
JOIN CITIZENS (18+)
Join an existing school chapter! We have clubs at schools with & without special education programs.
Make a friend while participating in inclusive activities with adults with and without IDD in your local area.
START A CHAPTER
JOIN E-BUDDIES
Be an inclusion leader by starting a chapter! Receive support from Best Buddies staff every step of the way.
Sign up for our email-based pen pal program. E-Buddies is available starting October 1, 2021.
Integrated Employment HOST A MOCK INTERVIEW
TEACH A JOB SKILL
Conduct a practice interview for a jobseeking participant. We'll provide the interview questions, you ask away!
Promote workplace readiness by teaching job skills to participants who are seeking competitive employment.
JOIN A CAREER PANEL
INVOLVE YOUR EMPLOYER
Chat with Best Buddies participants about your job and offer advice on how to enter into your career field.
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.
BRING AN AMBASSADOR TO YOUR COMMUNITY Invite an ambassador to speak about inclusion at your school or workplace!
BE A SPEECH COACH
HOST A TRAINING
Attend a training as a speech coach to support an individual on their journey to becoming an ambassador.
Get a group together to level up your leadership. We provide the content, you lead the training!
Signature Events & Advisory Board JOIN A COMMITTEE
ATTEND THE FRIENDSHIP WALK
Support the event planning process by joining a committee. Assist with logistics, publicity, sponsorships, and more!
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). Register today at 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.
SanFrancisco Francisco Advisory Advisory Board San Board Thank you for your leadership and dedication to our programs all year long!
Ken Seto, Board Chair
Brian Amador
Tessie Amador
Senior Web Applications Developer Scientific Certification Systems
Executive Director First Tee Tri-Valley
Sourcing Lead, Gas Operations Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Thom Boharsik
Sarah Coyne
Linda Goldstein
Strategy Advisor & Consultant Scorpio Insights
Co-Founder Investment Firm
EVP, Customer Experience & Marketing
CSAA Insurance Group, a AAA Insurer
Wesley Lam
Kevin Lint
Kelly Petersen
Outreach Ambassador Civic Edge Consulting
Managing Director Accenture
Teacher & Education Specialist Fresno Unified School District
Christine Preziosi
Rob Shilling
Roberta Zarea
Founder, Christine Preziosi LLC, Event Productions
General Manager OUTFRONT Media
Superintendent Portola Valley Elementary School District
Walk. Celebrate. Support. 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). Funds raised at the Friendship Walks help move our mission forward by funding local Best Buddies programs. It also provides a unique opportunity to see our mission in action at the local level. Every dollar raised goes towards making the world a more inclusive, accepting place. BESTBUDDIESFRIENDSHIPWALK.ORG/SANFRANCISCO
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING INCLUSION!