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!
MAKE A FRIEND | DONATE | VOLUNTEER
BESTBUDDIES.ORG/MINNESOTA