CALIFORNIA
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020
Dear Friends, I am thrilled to welcome you to the Best Buddies 2020 Virtual Champion of the Year Gala. We know this year has been unlike any other, but Best Buddies continues to keep our participants connected, supported and engaged. Our programs are the heart and soul of Best Buddies and it is where we see our mission being put to use every day. Today, Best Buddies’ programs engage participants in each of the 50 states and in over 50 countries, positively impacting the lives of over 1.3 million people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) around the world! People with IDD have been profoundly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic this year. Cut off from school and community relationships, they can be particularly vulnerable to the emotional and logistical difficulties of social isolation. That’s why we need your help now, more than ever. The organization is rapidly adapting to ensure that supportive friendships, jobs and opportunities for inclusion remain available. Best Buddies is implementing virtual events to prove that social distancing does not mean social isolation. I extend a special thank you tonight to all of our sponsors, advisory board members, and committee members who have helped make this virtual event an extraordinary success. All of our Champions have demonstrated the true spirit of giving and belief in the Best Buddies’ mission through their generous support! On behalf of more than 1.3 million people impacted annually by Best Buddies, thank you for your support of this exciting event! I hope you have an amazing evening and continue to be inspired, as I am, by the combined efforts that have made this Virtual Champion of the Year Gala a success. With endless gratitude, Anthony K. Shriver Founder, Chairman & CEO Best Buddies International
Best Buddies International is the world's largest organization dedicated to ending the social, physical, and economic isolation of 200 million people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Our programs empower people with IDD by helping them form meaningful friendships with their peers, secure successful jobs, live independently, improve public speaking, selfadvocacy and communication skills, and feel valued by society.
Mission Best Buddies International is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-toone friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, and inclusive living for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
Who We Serve 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.
Programs Best Buddies programs sit on the four key mission pillars below:
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CHAMPION OF THE YEAR This twelve-week philanthropic competition celebrates local professionals and community leaders throughout California who have been nominated as “Champions” to raise funds and increase awareness for the mission of Best Buddies. Following the twelve-week campaign, all candidates and their campaign managers, will be presented and honored this evening at the Virtual Best Buddies Champion of the Year Gala. The highlight of the evening is when the candidate who has raised the most donations throughout the campaign and this evening through our “Bid From the Heart” live appeal and silent and live auctions surpasses all rivals in the competition—and is awarded the “2020 Champion of the Year” title. Proceeds from the Gala will go directly to Best Buddies in California to create more friendships, develop leadership opportunities, and foster meaningful employment for thousands of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities within our community. All donations are tax deductible under all California laws of tax deductible donations for 501(c)(3) organizations.
MEET YOUR CANDIDATES
THE COMPETITION AMBER COFFMAN & THOMAS KEYES LOS ANGELES, CA
AVA WEINROT & LETY SANCHEZ LOS ANGELES, CA
BEN SCOTT & BRADLEY GUNTHER LOS ANGELES, CA
CARLY REINER & WESLEY LAM SAN FRANCISCO, CA CIRCLE OF CHAMPIONS
THE COMPETITION CHAMP PEDERSON & TYGER PEDERSON BAY AREA, CA
CHARLOTTE WILLIN & DAYNA BAWOLSKI, MONICA GONZALEZ LOS ANGELES, CA
DREW PETERSEN & KELLY PETERSEN FRESNO, CA CIRCLE OF CHAMPIONS
HALEY BRIDGES & JOSHUA WARIT SAN FRANCISCO, CA
THE COMPETITION HEATHER LOZANO & LIZZY GARCIA, RYAN PALASEK, BAILEY ALLEN, MEMPHIS BYNUM, CHLOE MORALES, LUIS TREJO
LOS ANGELES, CA
JENNIFER CONLON & EVAN KARR SAN DIEGO, CA
JOHN PULOUS & MAX HIRSCHMAN LOS ANGELES, CA CIRCLE OF CHAMPIONS
KARL LOTT & AMIR GEVA LOS ANGELES, CA
THE COMPETITION LAUREN RUHSTORFER & RYAN SHEU BAY AREA, CA
LEILANI CAMARA& GARRETT LEDBETTER ORANGE COUNTY, CA
MARCO DONDERO & BRETT CARMODY BAY AREA, CA CIRCLE OF CHAMPIONS
MATT QUINTERO & JOHN HAMMOND BAY AREA, CA
THE COMPETITION RICHARD NAKAI & KATIE MAYO LOS ANGELES, CA
ROB SHILLING & MICHAEL DYKMAN BAY AREA, CA CIRCLE OF CHAMPIONS
RYAN BAILEY & MEGAN SEADLER BAY AREA, CA
SHAWN EGAN & BJ WHITE LOS ANGELES/BAY AREA, CA
THE COMPETITION VANESSA OCANA & ALLIE HARDY ORANGE COUNTY, CA
VESNA VASICH & KATIE CROY NICOLE KOHRMANN SAN DIEGO, CA CIRCLE OF CHAMPIONS
XOE WATCHMAN & LARRY LARKIN BAY AREA, CA
THE COMPETITION MAGDELINE ZOGOPOULOS & KATINA AITKENS SACRAMENTO, CA
KRISTEN GAFFNEY & TYLER GAFFNEY SAN DIEGO, CA
GOOD LUCK TO ALL THE CHAMPIONS
HOW TO WATCH CHOOSE A DEVICE TO STREAM FROM. THIS CAN BE YOUR SMART TV, PHONE , OR TABLET, WE RECOMMEND A TV
IF YOU ARE CASTING FROM YOUR DEVICE YOU CAN USE EITHER CHROMECAST OR AIRPLAY (FOR APPLE TVS ONLY). PRESS THE ICON AND CHOOSE YOUR TV’S NAME. IT WILL NOW APPEAR ON YOUR TV SCREEN.
CHROMECAST GO TO WWW.BESTBUDDIESCHAMPION.ORG/CALIFORNIA FROM YOUR SMART TV, PHONE, OR TABLET’S INTERNET BROWSING APP.
IF YOU ARE WATCHING ON YOUR SMART TV- PRESS PLAY AND BEGIN WATCHING. THIS SHOULD WORK WITH XFINITY, APPLE TV, AMAZON FIRE, AND ROKU, AND SHOULD ALSO WORK ON MOST GAMING CONSOLES LIKE PLAYSTATION AND XBOX.
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YOU COULD ALSO TRY CONNECTING YOUR LAPTOP TO YOUR TV USING AN HDMI CORD IF YOU HAVE ONE. A PHONE OR TABLET WILL NEED AN HDMI ADAPTER.
LET'S CHEER ON OUR CHAMPIONS, GET READY TO BID, AND ENJOY THE SHOW!
HOW TO BID WE SUGGEST USING A PHONE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE AUCTION AND WATCHING THE GALA ON YOUR TV OR COMPUTER. YOU SHOULD RECEIVE A TEXT FROM BID PAL THAT INCLUDES THE LINK BIDPAL.NET/BBCA TO START YOUR BIDDING.
YOU CAN VIEW YOUR ACTIVITY FROM THE MENU OR PROFILE ICON TO KEEP TRACK OF ITEMS YOU HAVE BID ON OR WON. COLOR CODED ICONS WILL INDICATE YOUR BIDDING STATUS.
BIDDING IS LIVE SO YOU CAN START BROWSING AUCTION ITEMS AND EVEN BEGIN PLACING BIDS NOW. OUTBID ALERTS AND TEXTS WILL LET YOU KNOW WHEN TO JUMP BACK IN AND BID ON THE ITEMS YOU WANT.
WHEN YOU VIEW AN ITEM, YOU CAN EITHER PLACE A BID OR BUY NOW. YOU’LL CONFIRM YOUR BID, AND YOU CAN ALSO SET A MAXIMUM BID TO ALLOW THE SYSTEM TO AUTOMATICALLY PLACE BIDS ON YOUR BEHALF UP TO YOUR MAX BID AMOUNT.
SIMPLY WANT TO MAKE A DONATION TO BEST BUDDIES IN CALIFORNIA? CLICK THE DONATE NOW BUTTON AT THE TOP TO DO SO AND CHOOSE THE AMOUNT YOU WISH TO GIVE.
AT THE END OF THE AUCTION PORTION CHECK OUT YOUR ACTIVITY AGAIN TO SEE WHAT YOU HAVE WON!
CHECK YOUR RECEIPT TO VIEW YOUR PURCHASES AND PAYMENTS FOR THE EVENT. IF YOU HAVE A BALANCE DUE YOU CAN ADD YOUR CREDIT CARD HERE AND EMAIL YOURSELF A RECEIPT.
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Many people with IDD have been profoundly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Cut off from school and community relationships, they can be particularly vulnerable to the emotional and logistical difficulties of social isolation. People with IDD are overlooked during times of public emergency, as they are often not in a position to advocate for themselves. Best Buddies is rapidly adjusting to ensure that supportive friendships and opportunities remain available. Using digital platforms such as Zoom, FaceTime, and other social media outlets, we're implementing virtual events to prove that social distancing does not mean social isolation. None of this would be possible with out the help and financial support of people like you. Thank you!
TEAM Best Buddies Northern California Staff Bay Area Katelyn Quintero, State Director Jazzmine Santos-Kendrix, Director of Programs Chanel Brisbane, Director of Jobs Kelsey Roland, Deputy Director of Communications and Stewardship Stefanie Taylor, Director of Development Linnea Markson, Program Supervisor, Jobs Molly McConville, Employment Consultant Xoe Watchman, Program Manager, Community Engagement Brittany Black, Program Manager, Volunteers Sacramento Vanessa King, Employment Consultant
Best Buddies Central California Staff Fresno Haley Hatai, Program Supervisor, Jobs Alex Mendoza, Employment Consultant-Project SEARCH Jacob Garcia, Employment Consultant-Project SEARCH Nancy Loera, Employment Consultant-Project SEARCH Destin Jones, Intern
Best Buddies Southern California Staff Los Angeles Sarah Won, Director of Development Melissa Peterson, Program Supervisor, School Friendship Ashley Love-Smith, Program Manager, Volunteers Samantha Garrick, Program Supervisor, Jobs Vince Norcia, Manager of Job Development Erika Javier, Employment Consultant Richard Nakai, Office Assistant Long Beach Catherine Belous, Director of Operations Abby Bowe, Program Supervisor, Jobs Viviana Santillan, Employment Consultant San Diego Emma Kitnick, Program Manager, Mission Expansion
TEAM 2020 Advisory Board Members San Francisco: Rob Shilling – San Francisco Board Chair General Manager, OutFront Media Tessie Amador Sourcing Lead, Gas Operations, PG&E Sarah Coyne Vice President, ValueAct Capital John Hammond Outreach Ambassador, Civic Edge Consulting Shari Kaufman Director, VIP Guest Services, Golden State Warriors Carly Reiner Future Talent Associate Manager, Accenture Mitch Sands Founder and Wealth Advisor, Catalyst Private Wealth Honorary: Marco Dondero Educator, Palo Alto Unified School District
Los Angeles:
Expansion Board:
Ben Scott – Los Angeles Board Chair Sr. VP of Operations, Paradigm Talent Agency
Tyler Gaffney – San Diego Board Chair Capital Markets Advisor, CRBE / Co-Founder, Avantera
Karl Lott –Vice Chair Partner, Holland & Knight Lexie Ben-Meir Student, Archer School for Girls Karen Leder Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Leder Group David Penso Office Assistant, Fiji Water John Poulos Research and Development Associate, Propagate Caley Versfelt Receptionist, Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) Shail Versfelt Designer, Versfelt Designs Emily Levine Senior Vice President, Career Group Shawn Egan Senior Programmatic Account Strategist, Google
Vesna Vasich – San Diego Board Member Best Buddies Ambassador Kelly Petersen - Fresno Board Member Fresno Unified
CIRCLE OF CHAMPIONS CLASS OF 2018 San Francisco · Winner: Dion Lim Melody Benway · Jaki Berry · Rustom Birdie · Peter Gozelski · Charlene Hernandez · Shari Knight · Kelly McKenna· Jesse Millman · Lindsey & Michael Tankenoff · Sally Vitello Fresno · Winner: Alyssa Webber Maria Horan · Jenna Korman · Elizabeth Munoz · Drew Peterson · Linda Penner · Debbie Schechter Los Angeles· Winner: John Poulos Lexie Ben Meir· Jowen Escobar · Gregory Nunez· Tiffany Swinson· Susan Tenney
CLASS OF 2019 San Francisco · Winner: Dion Lim David Andrews· Brian Ashe · Jaki Berry · Laima Bobelis & Natalie Spring· Eli Cooper · Marco Dondero · Shari Kaufman · Melnychuk · Jesse Millman · Carly Reiner · Rob Shilling · Sally Vitello Los Angeles· Winner: Karen Leder Antonio Contreras · Alina Rae Carranza · Katie Mayo · Richard Nakai · John Poulos · Honorary: Zack Gottsagen San Diego Winner: Tyler Gaffney Holden Brosnan · Daniel Bushong · Trevor Jenson · Vesna Vasich · Honorary: Bill Mullett
CLASS OF 2020 California · Winner: ?? Amber Coffman· Ava Weinrot · Ben Scott · Carly Reiner· Champ Pederson · Charlotte Willin · Drew Petersen · Haley Bridges · Heather Lozano · Jennifer Conlon· John Poulos · Karl Lott · Kristen Gaffney · Lauren Ruhstorfer · Leilani Camara · Magdeline Zogopoulos · Marco Dondero · Matt Quintero · Richard Nakai · Rob Shilling · Ryan Bailey · Shawn Egan · Vanessa Ocana · Vesna Vasich · Xoe Watchman
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