unites and recognizes the community’s most active leaders in the name of inclusion.
By devoting their passion, talents, and networks to Best Buddies through a philanthropic competition, our Champions lay for the foundation for transformative change in their communities.
All funds raised benefit Best Buddies – 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). Our programs empower the special abilities of people with IDD by helping them form meaningful friendships with their peers, secure successful jobs, live independently, improve public speaking, self-advocacy and communication skills, and feel valued by society.
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.
Learn MoreOur Champions truly epitomize the word “Champion” itself. This select group of leaders raises millions of dollars for Best Buddies annually, and they impact their local programs in an extraordinary and unprecedented way. While they compete for weeks, we revere their commitment to inclusion forever and lean on their wisdom to guide future Champions.
Champions
in 2019
Millions Raised
in 2019
Arizona
John Mitman
Urban Energy Solutions
$62,409
California: Los Angeles
Karen Leder
Leder Group
$12,000
California: San Diego
Tyler Gaffney
MS Sports Little Rookies
$15,000
California: San Francisco
Dion Lim
ABC7 News
$62,525
Colorado
Callie Sheehan
Audit Logistics
$16,600
Connecticut
Dan Blackwood
Pfizer
$25,000
Florida: Jacksonville
Scott Goldstein
Atlantic Trust Mortgage
$69,205
Florida: Orlando
Justin Isaac & Pete Jenkinson
$30,000
Florida: Palm Beach
Kim Champion
Champion Home Healthcare
$31,000
Florida: South Florida
Marc Kunen & Duane Chin Loy
Florida: Tampa Bay
Beth Ann Hill
The Press Box
$60,000
Florida: Southwest Florida
Ken Coker
Cross Country Mortgage
$17,477
Georgia
Grace Key
Candidly Kind
$11,000
Illinois: Chicago
Trace Nardi
$24,000
Illinois: Central Illinois
Stephanie Chaon
$9,495.40
Indiana
Chris Thornton & RJ Zeph
$32,137.21
Kentucky
Danielle Davis
Lemonade PR
$7,839
Maine
Stacey Ryan
$26,500
Michigan
Hannah Reutter
$20,893
Minnesota
Brittney Fagerlee & Kristen Seaquist
$38,580
Missouri
Matt Berra & Ethan Schroder
$20,295
Nevada
Anna Billings
Anne Fontaine
$37,560
New Hampshire
Chris Duhaime & Ian Clemence Schreiner
$12,000
New Jersey
Rich Sadiv
$54,000
New York: Albany
Howard Gross
eBizDocs
$4,905
New York: Western NY
Jason Schneeberger
Rochester Fire Department
$10,000
North Carolina
Elizabeth Bateson
WITN-TV Greenville, NC
$30,000
Ohio
Samantha Scovil & Casey Pollock
$54,000
Oregon
Karen Gaffney
Providence Health Systems
$34,874.10
Pennsylvania
Annie Gable
$14,000
Washington
Devon Adelman
Universal Cells
$48,808.86
Wisconsin
Rachel & Scott Steele
$36,030
Know someone who might make a great Champion? Nominate them below!