Best Buddies International

Rallying for a cause! 🏓 Last weekend’s Best Buddies Pickleball Smash Tournament in Aspen, CO was more than just a game—it was a celebration of inclusion and friendship. Nearly 50 players with and without intellectual disabilities hit the courts proving that fun and inclusion are the ultimate winning combo. Big thanks to everyone who played a part! What a blast! 💜

"Never underestimate the ABILITIES of those with disabilities." - Eunice Kennedy Shriver

Eunie's Buddies is affectionately named in honor of Eunice Kennedy Shriver.

Today we take a moment to remember this extraordinary woman. To learn more about her legacy, visit https://loom.ly/ibF5lms.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver - Best Buddies International

Want to learn more about Best Buddies programs and volunteer opportunities? 🤝 If so, join us this Thursday, August 8th @ 6:30 PM EST for our next virtual Volunteer Orientation. 💻 These quarterly orientations are a great way to learn how you can get more involved in our programs. RSVP at https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=7nAVIfqheUC3FcYO9u7eCMyD28xdEABFgS_T7RP9rTNUNk9LNEpZUzZGVFRDUURRMDlRVFlHVzcwWS4u.

Making new friends at the Training Camp! 🤩🏈

Shout out to , , for creating an unforgettable experience for our participants!

🏠 Exciting News! Best Buddies Living is expanding! We are currently recruiting for residents (with and without IDD) in Gainesville, Nashville, Clemson, State College and New Brunswick for this Fall. For more details and to apply visit bestbuddies.org/living (link in bio).

The Best Buddies Living program represents one of our organization’s five key mission pillars, Inclusive Living. This program fosters an integrated experience for people with and without IDD to become active, contributing citizens who live independently in a dynamic environment where they can learn, grow, and thrive.

📣 Join us TONIGHT, Sunday, July 21 for the grand finale of the Best Buddies Leadership Conference at Indiana University! Get ready for empowering speeches from Buddy Ambassadors, incredible music, and more. 🎥 Watch LIVE at bestbuddies.org/bblc or on Facebook at facebook.com/bestbuddies. See you there! ✨

Closing Ceremonies Pre-Show: 7:00 PM EST
Closing Ceremonies: 7:30 PM EST

Reaching new heights with Best Buddies Living in Los Angeles. 🧗‍♀️ Our Best Buddies Living residents recently spent an afternoon conquering walls and having a blast at a newly opened climbing gym near UCLA.

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are capable of remarkable accomplishments. Focus on their strengths and potential, and you will be astounded by the outcomes 🌟

It’s been a fun-filled summer for residents at our Best Buddies Living residency in Atlanta, GA. From visits to Six Flags amusement park, teeing off at the driving range, nights at the movies, and yoga classes, our program participants have been having a blast together!

In other 🏠 news, our Living program is expanding from 5 to 10 locations this year!

📍Washington, D.C. (2 locations)
📍Miami, FL
📍Los Angeles, CA
📍Atlanta, GA
📍New Brunswick, NJ
📍Gainesville, FL
📍State College, PA
📍Nashville, TN (Coming soon)
📍Clemson, SC (Coming soon)

Get all the details at bestbuddies.org/living (link in bio)

Shout it out! 📢 July is Disability Pride Month! Let’s celebrate the incredible diversity and strength of our community. Share your stories, experiences, and what disability pride means to you. Together, we can break down barriers and build a more inclusive society.

Life is brighter when you have a friend by your side. Let's celebrate the power of and this ! 🌟 Tag the bestie that makes every moment brighter.

Some of our incredible Best Buddies Jobs participants in LA took a big step towards their dream careers by completing a mock interview workshop hosted by the wonderful Team One. This special event honored the memory of Byron, a beloved member of Team One who brought joy and positivity to the office for 10 years before he sadly passed away last year. Byron’s former coworker shared, “Byron was an integral part of the Team One family. His bright smile and kind words were the first thing we saw each day, making our workplace feel like home. To know him was truly to love him.”

In tribute to Byron’s enduring impact, Team One dedicated this workshop to our participants shine in their job search. With professional headshots and interview practice, they’re now more ready than ever to secure their dream jobs. ⭐️

A heartfelt thank you to Team One for honoring Byron’s legacy and championing inclusive employment opportunities.

We’re thrilled to announce our newest collection with Teddie Peanut Butter, a proud partner of Best Buddies for over a decade. Together, we have created these exclusive pieces: a stylish new T-Shirt and adorable plush Teddy Bear to help spread our mission of inclusion! 😊

100% of proceeds will benefit Best Buddies International. Enjoy FREE SHIPPING until June 30th! 

Shop now at the link in our bio! 🛍️🧸

Meet Andrew and Noah!! 👋 Recently paired up in our Citizens Adult Friendship Program, they have been raving about how they feel they are such a perfect match for each other! They both love video games, going to the movies, and recently went to see Bad Boys together. 🎥🍿

“Dad, I love you because you are my number one fan, supporter, and mentor. It’s impossible to envision the person I am today without your guidance, dedication, devotion, and love. I am incredibly grateful for you every single day. Happy Father’s Day!” – Hunter Huff, Best Buddies Global Ambassador 💜

“Hunter, I love you because you are such a positive, kind and amazing person.  You are a joy to be around.  You make me smile and you brighten my day.

Whether you need a friend or want to be a friend, Best Buddies is the place for you. Everyone needs a space outside their family where they feel loved for who they are. I honestly couldn’t say what Hunter’s life would be like without Best Buddies.” – Bill Hunter 🙏

Wishing all fathers a day filled with love and special memories. Happy Father’s Day! 🎉

📢 Exciting news! We have teamed up with Miracle Recreation Equipment Company on an ambitious new program to develop Best Buddies inclusive commercial playgrounds and Buddy Benches. Best Buddies + Miracle Recreation playgrounds will be designed to provide a new standard of best-in-class inclusive and accessible playground equipment for all ages and abilities! Together, we are dedicated to delivering play experiences that embody true inclusion—starting with kids at the grade-school level, when they first form their social awareness and behaviors.

For more information on Best Buddies + Miracle inclusive playgrounds, which will be launching in 2025, visit www.Miracle-Recreation.com/Best-Buddies.

Historically, Best Buddies has served individuals with IDD. Now, we're extending our support to their parents and caregivers too, through EUNIE's BUDDIES!

bestbuddies.org/family-support

Life is brighter when you have a friend by your side. Let’s celebrate the power of and  this  ! 🌟 Tag the bestie that makes every moment brighter.

“A good job is more than a source of income; it’s a pathway to realizing your potential and a foundation for achieving your dreams.”

"Working at Star Market in Brookline is more than a job for Nick Jenkins. It helps him feel part of the community and makes him proud."

Best Buddies helps participant land job at Star Market in Brookline - Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News BROOKLINE, MASS. (WHDH) - We’re days away from a bike ride that can change lives. Riders will be pedaling up to 100 miles in theRead More

Hundreds of cyclists are gearing up to bike up to 100 miles this Saturday in Best Buddies’s biggest fundraiser - the Best Buddies Challenge. 💜

Hundreds of bike riders gearing up for 2024 Best Buddies Challenge - Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News We’re counting down the days to this weekend’s Best Buddies Challenge! It’s a bike ride to raise money for the organization, and 7News is aRead More

Congrats, Connor, on landing your new job at in Atlanta, GA! ☕️ Cheers to an amazing first week and many more with your awesome new colleagues!

   

Your perception shapes your experience. At Eunie's Buddies, we believe in focusing on the POSSIBILITIES because individuals with IDD are capable of extraordinary achievements. We invite you to look past the diagnosis and discover a wonderful world of love, potential, and fulfillment.

From cap and gown to the adventures ahead, Best Buddies Living residents are there for each other for all of life’s milestones, big and small!

📸 Rodrigo recently graduated with his master’s degree from American University, and he invited Peter, his roommate, and Hannah, his good friend and Best Buddies Living resident, to join his family at the graduation ceremony.

Tune in to NBC’s  on Tuesday, May 21, during the 8:00 a.m. ET hour to watch our Founder, Chairman & CEO, , in an exclusive interview with Best Buddies Global Ambassador and Today Show host . They will discuss the significant impact of Best Buddies’ mission to promote inclusion and create opportunities for the IDD community and the organization’s new initiative, Eunie’s Buddies, which provides support to families navigating the journey of raising a child with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Don’t forget to share this exciting news with your family and friends!

No one should have to go through life alone, and one friend can make all the difference. 🫶 Tag your friends in the comments below and wish them a happy

We are one week into the Chapter Challenge, and we're kicking it up a notch! Design submissions are now open to ALL Chapters! This means your Chapter's apparel design could win and be showcased at BBLC 2024!

Submit your 👕 designs via email by May 31 to [email protected] for consideration!

And remember, if your Chapter raises the highest amount of money, our founder, Anthony K. Shriver, will match those efforts dollar-for-dollar!

For contest details and to start your chapter fundraising, visit bestbuddies.org/chapterchallenge.

I SEE YOU

I see you taking your son to therapy while your friends take their kids
to football or ballet.

I see you sneaking out of the conversation when all your girlfriends are bragging
about achievements and exam marks.

I see you sitting in front of the computer for hours researching what your child needs.

I see you put a bad face when people complain about nonsense.

I see you slowly fade away but you still go above and beyond for your family.

I see you pull strengths of weakness with a strength you never dreamed you had.

I see you showing respect to the teachers, therapists and medical
professionals that serve your child to help you.

Watch you get up early in the morning to do it all over again after another chaotic night.

I see you when you’re on the edge of the precipice fighting for a living.

I know you feel invisible, like no one notices.

But I want you to know that I notice. I see you pushing forward always.

I see you choose to do all you can to give your child the best care at home, at school,
in therapy and at the doctor.

What you do matters. It’s worth it.

On those days when you wonder if you can make it one more minute, I want you
to know I see you.

I want you to know that you’re beautiful.
I want you to know it’s worth it.
I want you to know you’re not alone.
I want you to know that love is the most important thing, and you are the best at that.

And on those days when you see improvement, those moments when hard work has
its reward, and you can taste success, I also see you and I’m proud of you.

Whatever day it is today, you’re worth a lot, you’re doing It right… and I see you.

- Alethia Mshar
(Original English text translated by Alba Moreno)

A Mother's Day message from Anthony K. Shriver:

Mothers are pillars of love, friendship, and strength within their families. My mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, will always be my hero. She guided me in everything I did and without her, Best Buddies would not exist. I thank her for her love, passion, leadership, and faith in our cause. I am thankful for her enduring spirit which guides me in the work I do today on behalf of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

My mother’s unending love and lifelong dedication to people with special needs inspired our new Eunie's Buddies program, which was affectionately named in her honor.

We're committed to ensuring that families and individuals with IDD receive the support and resources needed to navigate the journey of raising a child with IDD. Having someone who has walked a similar path by your side can greatly influence the trajectory of a family and their child's future.

Through Eunie’s Buddies, parents of children with IDD will have the opportunity to connect with new parents who are expecting, have recently welcomed a baby, or are raising a child up to five years old with an IDD diagnosis. The program creates a mentor–mentee connection and offers parents and caregivers encouragement, emotional support, and access to valuable resources. Eunie's Buddies will begin its pilot phase in Miami, Nashville, Denver, and Boston this year, and with time expand its reach to additional cities.

Eunie’s Buddies was built on an unrelenting faith and belief that family and a strong support system pave the way for a child with a disability to have access to education, secure meaningful employment, and lead a fulfilling life.

To learn more about Eunie’s Buddies, please visit bestbuddies.org/family-support