A
ALL IN FOR INCLUSION
WE’RE RAISING THE STAKES & BETTING ON FRIENDSHIP
A
Event Overview 6:00 PM Cocktail Reception & Silent Auction Opens 7:15 PM Dinner is Served & Program Begins Introduction of Champion Candidates Representation in Media Award Presented to Jamie Brewer 7:45 PM Silent Auction Closes Live Auction Begins 8:15 PM Mission Feature 9:30 PM The Grand Champion is Crowned!
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS Platinum Partners
Gold Partners
Silver Partners
Bronze Partners
A
A
CONGRATS TO OUR
2026 Representation in Media Award Recipient
JAMIE BREWER JAMIE BREWER IS AN AWARD-WINNING ACTRESS, MODEL, AND DISABILITY ADVOCATE BEST KNOWN FOR HER MEMORABLE ROLES IN FX’S AMERICAN HORROR STORY. HER CAREER SPANS TELEVISION, FILM, AND THEATER, INCLUDING ACCLAIMED OFFBROADWAY PERFORMANCES IN AMY AND THE ORPHANS, FOR WHICH SHE RECEIVED A DRAMA DESK AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A PLAY. IN 2015, JAMIE MADE HISTORY AS THE FIRST PERSON WITH DOWN SYNDROME TO WALK THE RUNWAY AT NEW YORK FASHION WEEK. THROUGH HER GROUNDBREAKING CAREER, SHE CONTINUES TO BREAK BARRIERS AND CHAMPION DISABILITY REPRESENTATION IN ENTERTAINMENT.
2025 GRAND CHAMPION OF THE YEAR LINDSEY CARTER
Raised over $22,406 for Best Buddies in Los Angeles, Long Beach, and the Inland Empire!
Letter from the Board Chair Thank you for joining us at the 2026 Best Buddies Champion of the Year Gala! Tonight is about celebrating the Best Buddies mission and the incredible impact this community makes every single day. Every supporter, volunteer, and participant plays a vital role in helping us build a more inclusive world for people of all abilities. This mission has always held a special place in my heart. Before joining Best Buddies, I worked as a special education teacher, where I saw firsthand how meaningful friendship, independence, and inclusion can transform a person’s life. Since moving away from teaching, Best Buddies has allowed me to stay connected to a community that means so much to me. I first got involved in 2014 through the Best Buddies Citizens Program, which is the adult friendship program that connects people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Over the years, I’ve watched this organization open doors, build confidence, and create spaces where everyone truly belongs. It’s been an incredible journey, and an absolute honor to serve as Chair of the Best Buddies Los Angeles Advisory Board. Best Buddies is about more than programs; it’s about people. It’s about celebrating each individual’s unique abilities and creating opportunities for lifelong friendships and personal growth. The work being done here in Los Angeles, Long Beach, and the Inland Empire reminds us every day that inclusion isn’t just something we talk about; it’s something we live. Thank you for being part of this movement and for continuing to champion a world where everyone is seen, valued, and included. In Friendship,
Shawn Egan Los Angeles Advisory Board Chair
Silent Auction Online Bidding Process How to register for the auction: Text LACOY26 to 76278 How to find an item: On the mobile bidding platform, click “View Items” You can browse auction items by scrolling through the full list, using the search bar, or selecting a specific category to narrow your results How to bid on an item: Find the item you’d like to bid on online Select the item and place a “Bid” Place an auto bid to set a maximum bid How to find the items you bid on: Items you have bid on can be found under “My Activity” How to tell if you were outbid: You will receive a text message when you’ve been outbid Alternatively, navigate to “My Activity” to check the status of your bids
Online Donation Process How to donate: Go to LACOY26.givesmart.com or click the link you received by text at check-in Click “Donate” on the auction page Select the Champion you would like to credit Choose a donation amount or enter a custom amount Confirm your donation and complete your payment. If you did not provide a credit card during registration, enter your payment information when prompted
A CHAMPION CANDIDATES
SHANNON DEE
MARC & SEAN DOBRY
BRANDON EDDINGTON
JOY GLASPY
LISA KOSKOVICH
PETER RUSCETTA
POL' ATTEU & PATRIK SIMPSON
A
ANDREW HAMMETT
A MISSION PARTNERS
CAELYN GRIFFITH
LEEZA SANFILIPPO
ADAM LLOYD
MAX MASIUS
EMILY LEVINE
GEORGE HELLER
VANESSA OCANA & KIMBERLY POSIN-MCCONNELL
A
AMIR GEVA
Be the Bridge. Donate Monthly! A community of supporters bridging gaps so that everyone is included.
ONE-TO-ONE FRIENDSHIPS
INTEGRATED EMPLOYMENT
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
INCLUSIVE LIVING
FAMILY SUPPORT
HISTORY
MISSION
We are the world's largest organization
Best Buddies International is a nonprofit
dedicated to ending the social, physical,
501(c)(3) organization dedicated to
and economic isolation of the 200
establishing a global volunteer
million people with intellectual and
movement that creates opportunities for
developmental disabilities (IDD).
one-to-one friendships, integrated
Founded in 1989 by Anthony K. Shriver,
employment, leadership development,
Best Buddies has grown from one
inclusive living, and family support for
original chapter to nearly 2,900 chapters
individuals with intellectual and
worldwide, positively impacting the
developmental disabilities (IDD).
lives of over 1.25 million people with and without IDD. Best Buddies programs
VISION
engage participants in each of the 50
To put Best Buddies out of business.
states and 54 countries around the
Best Buddies envisions a world where
world.
people with IDD are so successfully
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.
integrated into schools, workplaces, and communities that its current efforts and services will be unnecessary. Until that vision becomes a reality, the organization will continue to educate students, community members, corporations, and employers about the emotional, functional, and natural needs and abilities of people with IDD.
LA, LB, & IE Friendship Chapters & Jobs Placements Elementary School Chapters Ben Lomond Elementary School Bradoaks Elementary Science Academy Cypress Elementary School Dixie Canyon Community Charter School Dunlap Elementary School George Brown Elementary School Mann Elementary School Prisk Elementary School
Middle School Chapters Las Palmas Middle School Lone Hills Middle School Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Middle School Golden Valley Middle School Suzanne Middle School High School Chapters Alexander Hamilton High School Alta Loma High School Antelope Valley High School Archer School for Girls Arroyo Valley High School Azusa High School Beaumont High School Bloomington High School Brentwood High School
Campbell Hall High School Cajon High School Chino High School Claremont High School Crescenta Valley High School Edgewood High School Etiwanda High School Ernest S. McBride High School George Washington Preparatory Senior High School Glen A. Wilson High School Glendale High School Grand Terrace High School Grover Cleveland Charter High School Harvard Westlake Upper School Highland High School Indian Springs High School Knight High School La Cañada High School Larchmont Charter School - Lafayette Long Beach Polytechnic High School Los Osos High School Loyola High School Malibu High School Marlborough School Norte Vista High School Oakwood Secondary School Pacific High School Palisades Charter High School
Palos Verdes Peninsula High School Quartz Hill High School Rancho Cucamonga High School Rancho Mirage High School Ruben S. Ayala High School Santiago High School The Buckley School Venice High School Wilson High School Yucaipa High School
College Chapters California University of Science and Medicine CSULB Loyola Marymount University Pepperdine UCLA UCR UCSB USC
Job Placements ABM Industries AMC Belmont Village Senior Living Best Buddies International Candified Career Group Companies City of Los Angeles Mayor's Office of Economic Opportunity COSM Crystal Stairs Disney FIJI Water Flik Hospitality Gelfand, Rennert & Feldman Golf N Stuff Harbor Regional Center Holland & Knight Honeybee Health Iron Mountain JLL Latham & Watkins Lowe's Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP Oakmont Office Depot Propagate Content Ralphs Range Media Partners Ross Dress for Less SET Active Seyfarth Shaw Sprouts Starbucks Superior Grocers The Merchant LB Think Together UCLA Walt Disney Television Westside Regional Center William Morris Endeavor
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES One-to-One Friendship JOIN A CHAPTER
JOIN CITIZENS (18+)
Join an existing school chapter! We have clubs at schools with & without special education programs.
Make a friend while participating in inclusive activities with adults with and without IDD in your local area.
START A CHAPTER
JOIN E-BUDDIES
Be an inclusion leader by starting a chapter! Receive support from Best Buddies staff every step of the way.
Sign up for our email-based pen pal program. E-Buddies provides virtual one-to-one friendship opportunities.
Integrated Employment HOST A MOCK INTERVIEW
TEACH A JOB SKILL
Conduct a practice interview for a jobseeking participant. We'll provide the interview questions, you ask away!
Promote workplace readiness by teaching job skills to participants who are seeking competitive employment.
JOIN A CAREER PANEL
INVOLVE YOUR EMPLOYER
Chat with Best Buddies participants about your job and offer advice on how to enter into your career field.
Share the mission by encouraging your employer to participate in Best Buddies events and programs.
Leadership Development BECOME AN AMBASSADOR Attend an ambassador training to learn speech writing, public speaking, and advocacy skills.
BRING AN AMBASSADOR TO YOUR COMMUNITY Invite an ambassador to speak about inclusion at your school or workplace!
BE A SPEECH COACH
HOST A TRAINING
Attend a training as a speech coach to support an individual on their journey to becoming an ambassador.
Get a group together to level up your leadership. We provide the content, you lead the training!
Signature Events & Advisory Board JOIN A COMMITTEE
ATTEND THE FRIENDSHIP WALK
Support the event planning process by joining a committee. Assist with logistics, publicity, sponsorships, and more!
The Best Buddies Friendship Walk is the leading walk in the country supporting inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (also known as IDD). Register today at BestBuddiesFriendshipWalk.org!
JOIN A LOCAL ADVISORY BOARD Advisory board members commit to a two-year term where they utilize their skills and connections to expand our reach at the local level. *There is an application and interview process for this volunteer opportunity.
Advisory Board Los Angeles Advisory Board Thank you for your leadership and dedication to our programs all year long!
Shawn Egan
Ben Scott
Karen Leder
Board Chair Sr. Account Executive, Services & Distribution Solutions | Google
Board Vice-Chair Director of Administration Simpson Thacher
Founder & Chief Creative Officer | Leder Group
Emily Levine
Karl Lott
Executive Vice President Career Group Companies
Partner Holland & Knight
Nataliya Mehta Founder & Jewelry Designer Duniya Jewels
Elissa McClure
Greg Pearson
Grey Watson
Entrepreneur | Founder & Chief Executive Officer, ClutchDown
Chief Investment Officer Outpost
Senior Director, US Marketing Netflix
May 8, 2027 Shoreline Aquatic Park Join us at the Best Buddies Friendship Walk, the leading walk in the country supporting inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Gather your friends, family, and coworkers, start a team, and walk with us as we create a more inclusive community, one step at a time. Register today and walk for inclusion!
BESTBUDDIESFRIENDSHIPWALK.ORG/LOSANGELES
Let’s Talk About Your Hiring Needs
We are seeking employment partners ready to make a difference! When you hire through Best Buddies, you’re not just filling a position. You’re helping build a more inclusive workforce where everyone can thrive.
Los Angeles: JaylenOchoa@bestbuddies.org Long Beach: FaithCardenas@bestbuddies.org
Want to make a difference? Scan the QR code to learn how you can get involved with Best Buddies! BESTBUDDIES.ORG/CALIFORNIA
A
MAKE A FRIEND | DONATE | VOLUNTEER BESTBUDDIES.ORG/CALIFORNIA
A