Champion of the Year: Greater Cincinnati
Unites and recognizes the community’s most active leaders in the name of inclusion.
6:00 PM | Cincinnati, OH
Thank You!
Thank you for participating in this year’s Champion of the Year event! Because of you, we were able to raise funds to sustain and help expand our Best Buddies programs in the area. We look forward to having you at next year’s event. With your help and support, our mission of inclusion lives on!
Best Buddies Champion of the Year is a competitive fundraising campaign that unites and recognizes leaders of inclusion in local communities nationwide.
Champion Candidates commit to raising funds and awareness for Best Buddies throughout their campaign. Our Champions advocate for the Best Buddies mission and will generate countless opportunities for friendships, jobs, leadership development, inclusive living and family support. At the Best Buddies Champion of the Year celebration, we honor the Champions’ collective impact and name the ultimate Champion of the Year!
Join us on Thursday, October 30, 2025 for Cincinnati’s inaugural Champion of the Year Gala. The evening will transport you to a world of whimsy and wonder as we celebrate “The Magic of Belonging”—a theme that highlights the power of connection and inclusion. Magical attire encouraged!
This enchanting event will feature cocktails, dinner, performances, and a celebration of inclusion, culminating in the announcement of Cincinnati’s Champion of the Year—honoring a leader dedicated to the mission of Best Buddies.
See More Event Details
Performance By:
Pones provides artistic opportunities for community growth by creating engaging new ways for audiences to experience dance and performance art. Pones was founded on the belief and practices of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA). Since 2008, they have been frontrunners in merging social justice and the arts.
Emcee & Host
Sheree Paolello is an Emmy Award winning Anchor who grew up in Cincinnati. She’s been delivering the news at WLWT News 5 for the past 23 years. In 2018, Sheree received one of the highest honors in Journalism when she won an Edward R. Murrow Award, for a series of stories on a fugitive doctor accused of performing unnecessary surgeries on hundreds of patients in Greater Cincinnati. Sheree is passionate about the stories and people she covers and giving back to charities and organizations like Best Buddies. Sheree is a busy woman. When she’s not on the air or volunteering, she’s spending time with her husband and their five kids.
Schedule
Thursday, October 30, 2025
Doors Open: 6:15 PM
Dinner & Program: 7:00 PM
Event Ends: 10:30 PM
Location
Newport Syndicate
18 E 5th St,
Newport, KY 41071
Event Contact
Congrats to our 2025 Ohio Champion of the Year
Kate Malo & Dr. Kristine Zitelli
Raised $5,600 for Best Buddies in Ohio
Ohio: Cincinnati
A Glimpse of the Party...
Why Participate...
All funds raised benefit Best Buddies – the largest organization dedicated to ending the social, physical and economic isolation of the 200 million people worldwide with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Our programs empower people with IDD to form meaningful friendships with their peers, secure jobs, improve communication and advocacy skills, and live independently, while also offering support for their families.
The IDD community that Best Buddies serves individuals with IDD and their families. The IDD community includes, but is not limited to, people with Down syndrome, autism, Fragile X, Williams syndrome, and other undiagnosed disabilities.
We Love our Sponsors!
Presenting Sponsor
Signature Sponsor
Additional Sponsors
Ted & Connie Mehlman In Memory of Marcia Mead
Tennant Solutions
Bilstein Built 2 Give Back Foundation
Kroger
ITA Audio Visual Solutions
The Newport Syndicate
George and Debbie Lang
Interact for Health
The McCloy Family Foundation
For sponsorship opportunities and other event inquiries, please contact: