2023 BBMN Impact Report

You’re making a difference.

Thank you!

Message From Our

State Director Dear Friends, All of us at Best Buddies in Minnesota extend our deepest appreciation to our wonderful participants, families, volunteers, donors, and corporate partners for such a successful 2023! Your support and dedication to our mission helps our programs grow, creating more inclusive communities throughout our state.

Happy New Year to you and yours and here’s to continued growth in 2024!

In Friendship, Katey DeMarais State Director BBMN Team: Katey, Emma, and Kai

Here’s what we’ve accomplished, because of your support in

2023

One-to-One Friendship Program 110 Cities | 33 Counties

38 Twin Cities Citizens

Clear Springs Elementary School

TOTAL CHAPTERS

1,800+

10

TOTAL

Elementary Schools

PARTICIPANTS

6 Middle Schools

17 High Schools

2

18,000+

Colleges

IMPACTED

3 Citizens Minnetonka High School

Owatonna Middle School

Meet Kelsey & Al Matched in the Twin Cities Citizens Program

“I love being paired with Al. The times we’ve spent together have truly been the highlights of my year! They are so easy to have fun with and we’re always looking for more opportunities to get together.”

- Kelsey “Best Buddies is all about inclusion. My best buddy Kelsey and I have a lot of fun together! She accepts me and supports me in all my endeavors.”

- Al

Leadership Development Program

63 PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS

11 STATE AMBASSADORS

Tasha, State Ambassador and Board Member

Ambassador Training Ambassador Training is a key part of our Leadership Development pillar. This program helps our participants become better self-advocates and representatives of inclusion. In 2023, our training topics included speech writing and storytelling, disability awareness and etiquette, a career panel with Accenture employees, and more!

In July, 16 leaders from all over Minnesota, both with and without IDD, attended our 32nd Annual Best Buddies Leadership Conference. They participated in personalized trainings that developed the skills needed to lead a Best Buddies school chapter or volunteer initiatives in the community!

(STWTETW) is an ongoing movement to end the hurtful and demeaning use of the word “retard(ed).” Chapters all throughout Minnesota held STWTETW

Mounds View High School

awareness events at their respective schools in March. Our Best Buddies participants raised the consciousness of their classmates about the dehumanizing

effects of using the R-Word and encouraged people to pledge to use more inclusive language.

Eastview High School

Minnetonka Middle School West

Raised

$99,600 Over 600 participants, corporate partners and community members walked for inclusion!

Raised

$336,000 Nearly 450 supporters came together for our annual Gala in celebration of the collective

efforts of our 10 Champions who raised funds and awareness to support our mission!

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