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Best Buddies Champion of the YearBest Buddies Champion of the Year
Best Buddies Champion of the YearBest Buddies Champion of the Year
  • About Champions
    • Nominate a Champion
    • Circle of Champions
    • FAQ
    • Find Other Events
  • About Best Buddies
  • RSVP
  • Donate
    • Support a Champion
    • General Event Donation
  • Login

Champion of the Year: Southwest Florida

unites and recognizes the community’s most active leaders in the name of inclusion.

Saturday, October 22, 2022

​​​​​​​6:00 PM – 10:00 PM | Fort Myers, FL

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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, and leadership development. At the Best Buddies Champion of the Year celebration, we honor the Champions’ collective impact and name the ultimate Champion of the Year!

Thank you for your support of the Southwest Florida Champion of the Year Gala. Dollars raised will help Best Buddies in Southwest Florida sustain much-needed inclusion programs. Please note, all sales are final.

We are excited to announce that Alina Gonzalez-Dockery is chairing this year’s event.

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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!

Schedule

Saturday, October 22, 2022
6:00 PM: Doors Open, Registration, Cocktails, Silent Auction
7:00 – 9:00 PM: Dinner and Event Program
9:00 – 10:00 PM:  GRAND CHAMPION CROWNING & Dancing!

Location

Club at Pelican Preserve
9802 Pelican Preserve Blvd.
Fort Myers, FL 33913

Event Contact

andiallen@bestbuddies.org

Meet our 2022 Southwest Florida Champion Candidates…

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SouthWest Florida COY 2021 Winners

Congrats to our 2021 Southwest Florida Champions of the Year

 

Laura Georgelos and Mission Partner, daughter Tori

Raised $20,580 for Best Buddies in Southwest Florida

 

Click here for our Nationwide Champion Winners

A Glimpse of the Party…

  • Enthusiastic Best Buddy participant at podium giving a speech
  • Male Buddy Pair at podium giving a speech
  • Group of three gala attendees smiling for the camera
  • Gala attendees holding up auction bid signs
  • Group of gala attendee smiling for the camera
  • Female champion candidate standing next to her campaign manager
  • Female Buddy Pair on stage with their hands in the air in celebration
  • Best Buddies participant in formal attire and sunglasses striking a pose
Best Buddies logo

Why Participate...

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.

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We Love our Sponsors!

  • SouthWest Florida Tri-Town Construction 2022 sponsor logo
  • SouthWest Florida Seaside Bar & Grill 2022 sponsor logo
  • SouthWest Florida GulfShore Life 2022 sponsor logo
  • Seminole casino logo
  • SouthWest Florida CrossCountry Mortgage The Wesson Group 2022 sponsor logo

For sponsorship opportunities and other event inquiries, please contact:

andiallen@bestbuddies.org
239.275.2510