Evening Agenda
6:30pm Doors Open
8:00pm Welcome by Emcee Taylor Kinzler
8:30pm Dinner
Silent Auction Closes
Live Auction
Need to confirm Taylor’s new name and role
Kady Allen
Emcee
Bid from the Heart Raffle
Crowning of Champion of the Year
Taylor Kinzler
Taylor Kinzler is an Emmy Award-winning anchor and reporter at NBC Connecticut. You can watch her weekday mornings on NBC Connecticut Today from 5 am to 7 am alongside Eddie Randle and Bob Maxon. She previously served as the longtime host of CT Live.
Taylor received her degree in broadcast journalism from American University in 2015. After working as a production assistant for the National Press Club and NBC Sports Washington, she began her television career as an anchor and reporter at WABI TV5, the CBS affiliate in Bangor, Maine. In 2018, she moved to Connecticut and helped launch NBC Connecticut’s first lifestyle show, CT Live.
In 2020, Taylor was named one of Hartford Business Journal’s “40 Under 40”, recognized for her work highlighting local businesses impacted by COVID-19 In addition to her passion for storytelling, Taylor is actively involved in the community, serving as a volunteer and mentor for Best Buddies Connecticut
Margo Meley & Alex Palmer
Varian Salters & Synthia Saulnier, Ellen Stansfield & Maia Keillor
Wyatt & Cathy Smarz
Rich Egner & Jimmy Howley
Michael James & Derek Reganauer
Tom & Ronan Manning
2024 Champion of the Year
Dave Renker and Andrew White
Our 2024 top Champion team was Dave Renker and Andrew White. Dave has been supporting Best Buddies for the past five years. He participates in our Friendship Walks, fundraises for Champion of the Year, volunteers as a coach for our Transitions Job Readiness training program, and one of the things he likes most is becoming buddies with Andrew.
Andrew has been involved with Best Buddies for eighteen years, since he was a freshman in high school He served as Buddy Director for the chapter at Southington High School and at the University of Connecticut. He is a Buddy Ambassador and a member of the Advisory Board for Best Buddies in Connecticut and enjoys the time he spends with his new buddy Dave
2025-2026 School Chapters
Colleges
Central Connecticut State University
Eastern Connecticut State University
Fairfield University
Quinnipiac University
Sacred Heart University
Southern Connecticut State University
Trinity College
University of Connecticut
University of Hartford
Middle Schools
Ansonia Middle School
Cross Street Intermediate
Dag Hammarskjold Middle School
Derby Middle School
Dodd Middle School
Hillcrest Middle School
John F. Kennedy Middle School - Enfield
John F. Kennedy Middle School- Southington
Nathan Hale Ray Middle School
Seymour Middle School
Shelton Intermediate School
Elementary Schools
Bradley School
Doolittle School
Eli Whitney School
Irving School
Mead Elementary School
Moody School
Norton School
Perry Hill School
Prendergast Elementary School
Sweeney School
Vance Elementary School
High Schools
Ansonia High School
Brookfield High School
Cheshire High School
Coventry High School
Crosby High School
Darien High School
Derby High School
East Lyme High School
Edwin O. Smith High School
Ellington High School
Enfield High School
Fairfield Ludlowe High School
Fairfield Warde High School
Glastonbury High School
Granby Memorial High School
Joel Barlow High School
Lakeview High School
Lyman Hall High School
Nathan Hale-Ray High School
Newtown High School
North Haven High School
Oxford High School
Pomperaug High School
Sacred Heart School Greenwich
Seymour High School
Shelton High School
Simsbury High School
Southington High School
Staples High School
Trumbull High School
Waterford High School
Watertown High School
Westhill High School
Woodland Regional High School
Thank You To Our Sponsors!
BidFromtheHeart
The Value of Your Donation Supp
Best Buddies helps form meaningful friendships, secure successful jobs, live independently, improve public speaking, self-advocacy and communications skills, all while feeling valued by society
$5,000
• Supports an elementary school, middle school, high school, or college chapter for a year.
$2,500
• The cost of funding a Leadership Skill Development training session for students with and without disabilities.
$1,000
• The cost to help support our Friendship Ball, a prom for individuals with and without IDD.
$500
• Helps fund sending a Buddy to the Leadership Conference at Indiana University for a weekend of Friendship and Leadership Development.
$250
• The cost of supplies needed to run our Transitions Job Readiness Program that helps individuals with and without IDD prepare for employment.
$100
• Helps cover costs associated with our Leadership Development trainings.
• Helps fund sensory friendly items at all of our events.
Proudtosupport BestBuddies
THE HOMETOWN FOUNDATION
The Hometown Foundation, Inc is a non-profit, charitable organization committed to supporting the community in conjunction with Bozzuto's, Inc., its family of retailers and community business partners.
Established in 2002, the foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for individuals and their families in hometowns and surrounding communities in which we operate.
The Foundation's commitment centers around five areas of charitable focus to support a broad range of programs that meet community needs By supporting these endeavors you are directly servicing individuals in need, assisting in program development and growing our year-round missions.
340HebronAvenue,Suite100,Glastonbury,Connecticut•www kdhayeslaw com•(860)266-7724•kathleen@kdhayeslaw com
Our most important work happens outside the four walls of our bank. KeyBank gets involved to help keep our communities full of hope and opportunity. Thank you, Best Buddies Connecticut, for making a difference.
Since 1825 Liberty Bank has been dedicated to helping families throughout Connecticut. Today, we continue this commitment by helping to improve the lives of our customers, teammates and communities for generations to come.
We are delighted to partner with organizations like Best Buddies Connecticut that share our commitment, and help make our communities great places to live and work. We are proud to sponsor the 2025 Champion of the Year Gala and spread kindness by supporting inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in our communities.
liberty-bank.com
Member FDIC
Thank You To Our Board, Committee Members and Staff!
Board Members
Kyle Brower
Audra Fleury
Darrel Gibson
Heather Iannanone
Deb Lavigne
Nancy Meyer- Board Chair
Valerie Strange
Caroline Sweeney
Sarah Swartz
Andrew White
Committee Members
Dana Bergenfeld
Deb Lavigne - Gala Chair
Desirae Lee
Nancy Meyer
Pam Nichols
Staff
Anna Nichols
Hannah Petr
Valerie Strange
Andrew White
Lezlye Zupkus, State Director
Lisa Enright, Director of Development
Bill White, Senior Program Manager
Kady Allen, Senior Program Manager
Emily Noonan, Program Manager
Elizabeth Navarro, Deputy Director of Jobs
Thank You To Our Auction Donors!
Abby Meyer
Al Rotella
Anonymous
Anthony Kennedy Shriver
Avelo
Avon Wellness Center
Dental Associates
Barcelona Wine Bar
Bartaco
Beardsley Zoo
Bevan Cellar Red Wine
Bill Selig Jewelers
Bob's Discount Furniture
Boston Bruins
Boston Celtics
Bridgeport Islanders
Buckland Hills Cinema
Bushka Family
Bushi Ban Martial Arts & Fitness
Cathy Smarz
Charles River Boat Tour
Coca Cola
Crafts by Spooky
CrossFit Wallingford
Curtain Call, Inc.
Dirty Dog Do it Yourself
Pet Wash and Pawstry
Shop
Dooney & Bourke
Empowered Aerial Fitness
Escapology
Extreme Air Indoor Tampoline Park
Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar
Fleury Family
Flight Adventure Park
Foxwoods
Great Neck Country Club
Hang the Moon
Hartford Wolfpack
High Rollers Luxury Lanes & Sports Lounge
Jack and Donna Sennott
Key Bank
KO Parties
L Designs
Landmark Community Theatre
Law Office of Kathleen D. Hayes, LLC
Linda Berard
Little Barn American Pub
Mallove's Mystic
Matt and Tracy James
Mercato Italian Kitchen & Bar
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Ham
Thank You To Our Auction Donors!
Mystic Seaport
NBC & Telemundo Connecticut
Old Whaling Company
Olympic Taekwondo Academy
Onyx Jewelers
Oyster Club
Palace Theater
Pennyweights
Playhouse on Park
Reread Books
Rich Egner and Jimmy Howley
Ridge Vineyards
Rio Salado
Rory's
Rumanoff's
Rumble Boxing
Salt Cave of Darien
Sea Bags- Mystic
Seven Angels Theater
Simsbury Farms Golf Course
Sports Center of CT
Stew Leonard's
Stop & Shop
The Claypen
The Farms Country Club
The Sitting Duck Tavern
The Town Players of New Canaan
Theater Development Fund (TDF)
Thule
Tidal River Clothing Co
Total Wine and More
TPC River Highlands
Trader Joe's
Tree Trails Adventures - Mystic
Trove Mystic
Troy Erickson
Two Oh Three
Two Roads Brewery
UConn Health
Urban Air - Manchester
Verdi
Wadsworth
Westport Country Playhouse
Wooden Tap
Zois Pizza
