Staff Welcome Welcome to the 9th Annual Best Buddies in Minnesota Champion of the Year Gala! We’re so honored you’re joining us for this night of friendship, opportunity, and celebrating our community that continuously shows up for inclusion. Whether it’s your first Best Buddies event or your fiftieth, we know you will leave feeling how magical friendship and belonging can be. Thank you for spending an evening supporting our free and life-changing programs for individuals with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities in Minnesota! Kai Walsh & Kalli Dorwart Best Buddies in Minnesota Team
How to Donate & Bid Register: Text MNCOY26 to (76278) Then donate and bid on your phone at MNCOY26.givesmart.com Help us reach our goal of raising $420,000 to support our local programs of inclusion and friendship.
Mission Statement Mission Statement Best Buddies is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, inclusive living, and family support for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Learn more and get involved at www.bestbuddies.org/minnesota and follow us on social media @bestbuddiesmn
Dinner Menu Dinner Menu Salad Locally sourced organic baby greens, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, julienned carrots and fennel, garnished with pickled red onions and served with house-made balsamic vinaigrette (VV-GF-DF-NF-SF).
Main Course Sauteed Chicken (GF-NF-SF) - 6 oz. boneless chicken breast served with Lemon Butter Piccata sauce (GF-NF), and Boursin Mashed Potatoes (V-GF-NF-SF) and Glazed Baby Carrots (VV-NF-SF) -ORRoasted Cauliflower with Warm Harvest Grains (VV-GFDF-NF-SF) - Served with harvest grains, red, black, and white quinoa, brown rice, and Mediterranean relish
Dessert Fruit Tart (V-NF) - Buttery shell filled with pastry cream and topped with fresh berries -ORChocolate Decadence Stripe (V-NF) - Exquisite cake paired with airy chocolate mousse topped with decadent chocolate ganache GF Gluten Free | DF Dairy Free | NF Nut Free | SF Soy Free | V Vegetarian | VV Vegan
Evening Program Welcome A.J. Hilton Event Emcee WCCO-TV Champion Introductions Dinner Silent Auction Closes at 8 PM Mission Moment Speech Elle Oeltjenbruns & Huda Abudulahi Buddy Pair Live Auction Rusty Kath Auctioneer A Message from Sara Messerli, Advisory Board Chair Bid-from-the-Heart Heads or Tails Game 2026 Champion of the Year Announcement After Party & Entertainment DJ B-Rock
Thank You Sponsors Signature Sponsor
Platinum Sponsors
Gold Sponsor
Silver Sponsors
What is Champion of the Year? Best Buddies Champion of the Year is a competitive fundraising campaign that unites and recognizes the community’s most active leaders of inclusion. Champion Candidates commit to raising funds and awareness for Best Buddies over an 8-12 week campaign. Our Champions are advocates for the Best Buddies mission and will generate countless opportunities for friendships, jobs, leadership development, and inclusive living for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Tonight we celebrate and honor the Champions’ collective impact and name the Grand Champion of the Year!
2026 Champion Candidates
Sam Boime
Al Bunker
Jen Clements
Evelyn DeRock
Anna Elder
Natalia Yurecko
Each of these individuals has committed countless hours over the last nine weeks to raise funds and awareness for Best Buddies in Minnesota. The time, energy, and passion they have given is admirable and we are honored to celebrate them tonight! Champions, it is a direct result of your efforts that more people than ever know of and support Best Buddies in Minnesota. The entire Best Buddies team is immensely grateful for your commitment and dedication to our mission of inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Read full Champion bios starting on Page 15.
2026 Mission Partners
Aidan Coughlin
Kelsey Hansen Fogarty
Tenley Niles
Violet Lees
Alex Luther
Mikayla Holmgren
in memoriam Best Buddies believes that having someone to lean on and cheer you on is the best way to reach your goals, so we brought that to Champion of the Year with Mission Partners! Each of these individuals has a connection to Best Buddies and were paired with a Champion Candidate to cheer them on, help spread the word about their campaigns, and share more about the impact of Best Buddies. Thank you Mission Partners for relentlessly working to make the world a more inclusive place!
2025 Champion of the Year
Shelby Hohneke Raised $115,541 Congratulations to Shelby Hohneke for being crowned the 2025 Grand Champion! She and her Mission Partner, Mikayla Holmgren, raised over $115,000 to support Best Buddies programs throughout the state of Minnesota.
Shelby’s commitment to inclusion is deeply personal – her aunt Katie, has Down Syndrome, and has been one of the greatest inspirations in her life, and the reason that she champions opportunities for individuals with IDD. Shelby has been a proud supporter and model for the Dreaming Big Without Limits Fashion show, created by Mikayla Holmgren, an initiative that celebrates confidence, diversity, and belonging for all. She got involved with DBWL three years ago and has continued to volunteer with Best Buddies in Minnesota since. “Best Buddies is all about friendship, inclusion, and the belief that every person deserves to feel valued and seen. Inclusion is more than just a word; it’s a promise. A promise that every person, regardless of their abilities, deserves to be seen, heard, and loved.” – Shelby Hohneke
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A.J. Hilton | Emcee WCCO-TV Morning News Anchor A.J. Hilton joined WCCO-TV as a morning news anchor in June of 2022. An Apple Valley native, A.J. is excited to be back telling stories in his home state. After graduating from the University of Minnesota, A.J. started his career in Alexandria, Minn. at KSAX. He then ventured to Michigan where he worked at WILX, then down to Tallahassee, Fla. at WCTV and most recently at WZTV in Nashville, Tenn. Along the way, he was honored by various organizations and helped his last morning show team win its first Emmy. Whether it's being a Big Brother, volunteering at the local food bank, or reading to children, А.J. enjoys spending time with his local communities. His idea of a perfect weekend is watching a Gopher football game, record shopping and a trip to the Minnesota State Fair.
Rusty Kath | Auctioneer Fladeboe Advancement As an auctioneer for non-profit organizations, Rusty Kath creates high energy in the room and connects with both the audience and the organization’s cause. He’s helped raise money for a variety of initiatives, including public schools, homeless shelters, cultural organizations, health services, and inner-city youth sports. For over two decades, Rusty has worked as an In-Game Host for several professional sports teams and organizations, including the Tampa Bay Rays, Minnesota Wild, Minnesota Twins, and US Figure Skating. He appears on the in-stadium video board engaging with fans, athletes, and celebrities as he hosts contests and conducts interviews. Rusty’s wife teaches kindergarten and they have two young children.
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Elle & Huda | Mission Moment Buddy Pair from Owatonna Middle School Elle and Huda met in third grade and have been close friends every since! From summer nights at the fair to choreographing performances, their friendship is filled with joy and fun. Tonight, they’ll share more about what Best Buddies means to them!
Sara Messerli | Keynote Address Advisory Board Chair, Best Buddies in Minnesota A passionate leader and voice in our community, Sara will be sharing her perspective on inclusion as a parent. She leads the local Advisory Board, is a member of the Friendship Walk committee, and recently joined the 2026-27 Ambassador Academy Cohort.
Brock Stepan | Entertainment DJ B-Rock B-Rock is a vinyl DJ with roots in the Minneapolis hip-hop scene for nearly 20 years. He has played at venues like the Varsity Theater and Fine Line, and set the musical stage for brands like Nike and the Vikings. Through decades of recorddigging he has curated over 3,000 records spanning multiple genres. Combining his wide selection with the technical chops honed on turntables, he is able to recontextualize music in ways never heard before that stir the body to groove. Vinyl and a good hifi system offer the best music experience. His goal is to share this with others and guide them on their own music and hifi journey by making all aspects more accessible. Check out his Instagram: @DJB_Rock
Bid From the Heart The Value of Your Donation 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.
$10,000 | Transform Lives Across Minnesota Lead the way in creating a more inclusive Minnesota! A gift at this level fuels statewide growth helping Best Buddies launch new initiatives, expand our impact into more communities, and provide life-changing friendship, leadership, and job opportunities for individuals with IDD.
$5,000 | Open a New School Chapter Bring friendship and inclusion to a new school! Your support creates a new Best Buddies chapter, pairing students with and without IDD in one-to-one friendships and fostering a welcoming environment for all.
$2,500 | Sponsor the Best Buddies Friendship Ball Create a magical, unforgettable evening! Your gift makes it possible for students in Best Buddies to attend our annual inclusive dance where they can dress up, celebrate, and enjoy time together with their buddy.
$1,000 | Send a Student to Leadership Conference Empower the next generation! Your gift covers all expenses for one student leader to attend the Best Buddies International Leadership Conference to gain advocacy skills, confidence, and inspiration to foster greater inclusion at school.
$500 | Host a Citizens Chapter Celebration Bring adults together in friendship and community! Your gift funds a gathering for adults with and without IDD, providing a space to socialize and feel included, valued, and celebrated in their community.
$250 | Provide Welcome Kits for New Chapters Help new chapters start strong! Provide Welcome Kits with resources, guides, activity materials, and fun items to recruit members, plan inclusive events, and cultivate friendship from day one.
$89 | Support a Buddy Pair Create a meaningful connection in honor of the year Best Buddies was founded! Your gift supports one buddy pair, giving them the opportunity to develop a strong one-to-one friendship.
My favorite thing about Annie is how kind and genuine she is. I always feel accepted and comfortable when we’re together, and we have a lot of fun just being ourselves." - Gaby
Gaby and Annie Twin Cities Citizens Buddy Pair
Best Buddies Minnesota in 2026
48
2,500+
Chapters
Participants
25,000+ 127 Cities
Impacted
14
8
219
Participants
Counties
18
Chapters
Chapters
24
3
Chapters
31
Participants
Chapters
26
Participants
To get involved or learn more, please visit: www.bestbuddies.org/minnesota
Our Impact
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Sam Boime | University of Minnesota Minnetonka, MN Sam Boime is a senior at the University of Minnesota, where he is majoring in Special Education and is the Community Engagement Coordinator of his Best Buddies chapter. When Sam was five he was diagnosed with autism and he has a traumatic brain injury from getting hit by a car at two years old. These experiences made him understand the importance of inclusion from a young age. He joined Unified Special club his his sophomore year of high school, where he met some of his best friends, including Aidan, and realized that spreading inclusion was something he wanted to do forever. Sam joined Best Buddies in January of 2024 when he started at the University of Minnesota and was formally matched with Aidan that fall. Sam and Aidan recently went to New York with Best Buddies Travel and had an amazing experience! Sam also loves theatre, music, and skiing. Sam is joined by his Mission Partner and Buddy, Aidan Coughlin.
Al Bunker | Twin Cities Citizens Delano, MN Al has been living with disabilities for the last ten years. They found and became a member of Best Buddies five years ago. Best Buddies makes them feel like they belong. They were matched with their buddy, Kelsey, in the Twin Cities Citizens Program and have an inspiring friendship. For their first meet up, Al suggested an improv class because Al is a part-time comedian. Since then, their friendship has deepened and they often volunteer together at events. Kelsey comes to all of Al's comedy shows and supports them but declines the invitation on stage. Al believes that Best Buddies is a magical organization for people with disabilities. It helps everyone feel welcomed, included and empowered. Al is honored to be a Champion and have the opportunity to spread inclusion and raise funds for local programs. They are so grateful to Best Buddies for helping them grow into the person they are today. Al is joined by their Mission Partner and Buddy, Kelsey Hansen Fogarty.
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Jen Clements | WELLS Owatonna, MN Jen is a CAD Technician in the drafting & engineering department at Wells. She was incredibly honored and humbled to be chosen as a Champion of the Year candidate. Her daughter got involved with Best Buddies four years ago when she became a buddy. Best Buddies immediately took a special place in Jen’s heart because she has a sister with IDD. Watching her sister struggle at times to fit in has strengthened Jen’s belief that everyone deserves respect, a sense of belonging, and to feel included. She's passionate about helping create a world where everyone is valued for who they are and has the opportunity to build meaningful connections. Jen is joined by her Mission Partner and daughter, Tenley Niles.
Evelyn DeRock | Minnetonka High School Minnetonka, MN Evelyn has been involved with Best Buddies for the last four years. She is a senior at Minnetonka High School and is their Chapter President. She is so excited to have the opportunity to campaign for Champion of the Year. In her four years involved in Best Buddies, she has been a leader for three of them and more importantly, her mission partner Violet’s buddy of three years too. At Minnetonka High School, she leads her chapter with the goal of making inclusion the norm. She has developed a deep connection to this goal and hopes it can be spread as far and wide as possible. She plans on starting a Best Buddies Chapter at The College of Saint Benedict next year, while also pursuing a Bio-Chem Pre Med degree, and playing Division 3 softball. Evelyn is joined by her Mission Partner and Buddy, Violet Lees.
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Anna Elder | Anna Elder Homes Eden Prairie, MN Anna Elder is a mom of two incredible boys, an awardwinning Realtor®, and a passionate advocate for making sure everyone feels seen, known, and valued for exactly who they are. As the founder of the Twin Cities Autism Support Network, Anna has brought together a community of more than 500 families through monthly inclusive playdates, quarterly birthday parties, and special events throughout the year. What began as a desire to create meaningful connections has grown into a community where families can show up exactly as they are, build friendships, and celebrate life’s moments together. Anna carries that same passion into her real estate practice, Anna Elder Homes, where she focuses on serving underserved communities, particularly individuals and families navigating disabilities, neurodiversity, and life’s transitions. Her dedication to serving others earned her the 2025 Minnesota Realtors® Good Neighbor Award. Whether through her work, ministry, or community events, Anna’s heart is always in the same place: bringing people together, celebrating what makes each person unique, and making sure everyone has a place where they truly belong. Anna is running in memory of her Mission Partner, Alex Luther.
Natalia Yurecko | Minnetonka High School Chanhassen, MN Natalia Yurecko is a high school senior and Miss Minnesota’s Teen 2026. For the past five years, Best Buddies has been an important part of her life, and she currently serves on the Executive Board of her high school’s Best Buddies chapter. Growing up with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and anxiety, Natalia has experienced what it’s like to feel different and sometimes isolated. That is one of the reasons the mission of Best Buddies feels so personal to her. Through the friendships she has made, Best Buddies has become a place of belonging for Natalia too. And those friendships are a reminder of how much it matters to have people in your life who see you for you. Natalia is also a classical pianist, AP Scholar, Varsity swimmer, and author. She hopes to study political science and public policy in college and eventually become an environmental attorney. Natalia is joined by her Mission Partner, Mikayla Holmgren.
Be B es s tt B Bu ud dd d ii e es s ii n n M M ii n nn ne es so o tt a a A Ad dv v ii s so o rr y y Bo B oa a rr d d ,, G Ga a ll a a C Co om mm m ii tt tt e ee e a an nd d S S tt a a ff ff Me M em mb be e rr s s As stated in our mission, Best Buddies is a volunteer-led movement. The work we do would not be possible without the support of individuals who believe in the power of inclusion. Thank you to the Best Buddies in Minnesota Advisory Board and Gala Committee for dedicating their time and talents to bring this event to life.
Advisory Board Maureen Cahill | Bellmont Partners Tasha Feigh | Finley’s Barkery Jason Hagman | Blue Yonder Todd Hedtke | Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Mitch Johnson | Tennant Corporation Chris Koenig | OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners Alicia Luther Toms, CFP | RBC Wealth Management Sara Messerli, Board Chair | AgriBank Ivan Vukovic | Insperity David Zimmel | InPursuit Search Gala Committee Sam Arnold | Twin Cities Orthopedics Danielle Dahlstrom | Anaplan Katie Gross | River Trail Learning Center Alicia Luther Toms, CFP | RBC Wealth Management Megan Melroe, Committee Chair | AlgoSec Kailin Oliver | Holmes Center for Entrepreneurship Staff Members Kai Walsh, Director of Programs and Operations Kalli Dorwart, Development Coordinator
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Flowers designed & donated by:
Event photography by:
D O N O R S Event balloons by:
5.16.2027 5.16.2027 9:00 AM | Viking Lakes (Eagan, MN)
Walk. Celebrate. Support. 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). BESTBUDDIESFRIENDSHIPWALK.ORG/MINNESOTA
Best Buddies in Minnesota 612-460-7440 | minnesota@bestbuddies.org
MAKE A FRIEND | DONATE | VOLUNTEER For more information and to get involved, visit: BESTBUDDIES.ORG/MINNESOTA