Fresno 2025 BBCOY Program Book

Event Overview

6:0 Cocktail Reception & Silent Auction Opens

6:45 PM Buffet Opens

7:30 PM Program Begins

8:00 PM Silent Auction Closes 8:35 PM Silent & Live Auction Checkout Opens PM ion is Crowned!

Welcome Friends of Best Buddies!

Thank you for joining us tonight at the 2025 Champion of the Year Gala! Your enthusiasm and commitment drive the success of this event and play a vital role in fostering friendship, securing meaningful employment, and providing leadership development opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) across the Fresno community.

We are so excited to celebrate the return of this event to Fresno! Over the past few years, we’ve seen incredible momentum growing; first with the return of the Friendship Walk two years ago, and now with Champion of the Year taking center stage once again Together, these two signature fundraising events are helping us deepen our impact and expand inclusion throughout the Central Valley.

This mission is deeply personal to me. Every day, I witness the transformative power of inclusion through our participants, volunteers, and community partners I’m continually inspired by the joy, confidence, and sense of belonging that Best Buddies fosters across all our programs.

Our programs continue to thrive and grow. In our Friendship, Leadership, and Jobs initiatives, we are building bridges of connection and empowerment for individuals with and without IDD We currently have 31 placements through our Jobs program This past May, we celebrated 11 graduates of Project SEARCH, whose dedication and achievements exemplify the power of opportunity and inclusion in the workplace.

Across the region, our reach continues to expand with 13 school-based Friendship chapters, 25 trained Ambassadors, and 10 Citizens matches, all helping to create communities rooted in respect and belonging

I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to our partners and supporters who make this work possible. Your belief in the Best Buddies mission enables us to continue creating pathways to inclusion and independence for so many To our Champions, Mission Partners, and Campaign Managers, thank you for your passion, your commitment, and your tireless advocacy for this cause. Together, we are building a brighter, more inclusive future right here in Fresno. Thank you for being part of the Best Buddies family.

Sincerely,

Deanna Allen Best Buddies Manager of Mission Advancement

Silent Auction Online Bidding Process

How to register for the auction:

Text FRESNOCOY25 to 76278

How to find an item:

You can find items by pressing any one of the buttons on the main menu or by using the search bar to find a specific item or category

How to bid on an item:

1 Find the item you’d like to bid on online

2. Select the item and place a “bid”

3. 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 FRESNOCOY25.givesmart.com or click on the text you received at check-in

Click on the "donate" tab

Select the Champion you would like to credit

Choose your amount or easily enter a custom one on your own

Confirm your donation - you may be prompted to enter a credit card at this time if you did not provide one at registration

Bid From the Heart

The Value of Your Donation

Best Buddies helps individuals with IDD form meaningful friendships, secure competitive jobs, live independently, and improve self-advocacy skills. Learn more about how your donation can equate to programmatic support.

$5,000

• Give the gift of friendship. Bring together people with and without IDD for friendships that cultivate community-wide social inclusion, by funding a new school, citizens, or corporate chapter in the Best Buddies Friendship program.

$2,500

• Fund an all-day Ambassadors training session for up to 50 people with and without IDD, where attendees will gain the public speaking skills and confidence needed to champion inclusion throughout their community

$1,000

• Give a student leader, Ambassador, or Jobs participant the opportunity to attend the annual Best Buddies Leadership Conference at Indiana University. BBLC brings together participants and volunteers from around the world, empowering them with the skills and resources to create inclusive schools, workplaces, and communities.

$500

• Host a Citizens event for adults with and without IDD, bringing together up to 50 people for friendship and connection.

• Provide shirts for 50 BBLC attendees to show their California pride at IU.

$250

• Transportation for at least 2 ambassadors to give public speeches and hone their advocacy skills.

• The cost of a pizza party for a school chapter to celebrate their inclusion efforts

Champion Candidates

Mission

Partners & Campaign Managers

In Loving Memory of Dan Speth

A Champion of Inclusion

A HEARTFELT THANK-YOU TO THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS AND BUSINESSES FOR THEIR GENEROUS SUPPORT OF OUR GALA:

Champion of the Year Committee Member - Heather Bowlin

Champion of the Year Committee Member - Marceen Farsakian

Champion of the Year Committee Member - Maribel Garcia

Champion of the Year Committee Member - Wendi Reed

Auctioneer - Mike Gibson, Fresno Lexus

Emcee - Christina Lopez, ABC-30

Bella Pasta Trattoria Italiana - Fabian Rodriguez

Bartenders - Anthony Chacon and Howling Wolf in the Tower District

DJ services - Lawrence Cervantes

Photography - Erica Ramos-Thompson and Kenzie Allen

Mission Video - Mariano Friginal Photography

Balloons - Gary Winebrenner, Balloons by Gary

A community of supporters bridging gaps so that everyone is included.

Be the Bridge. Donate Monthly!

Everyone deserves to feel like a contributing member of society. YOU can create a pathway from isolation to inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) through a monthly gift. Join The Bridge and connect these individuals to much-needed opportunities through Best Buddies’ friendship, job, leadership development, and inclusive living programs!

200 million people have IDD. Enrich lives & make a lasting impact for as little as $10 per month!

MISSION HISTORY

We are the world's largest organization dedicated to ending the social, physical, and economic isolation of the 200 million people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

WHO WE SERVE

Founded in 1989 by Anthony K Shriver, Best Buddies has grown from one original chapter to nearly 2,900 chapters worldwide, positively impacting the lives of over 1.25 million people with and without IDD Best Buddies programs engage participants in each of the 50 states and 54 countries around the world. 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.

Best Buddies International 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).

VISION

To put Best Buddies out of business. Best Buddies envisions a world where people with IDD are so successfully 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

Fresno Friendship Chapters & Jobs Placements

Elementary School

Chapters

McKinley Elementary School

River Bluff

Elementary School

Middle School

Chapters

Glacier Point Middle School

Kastner

Intermediate School

Rio Vista Middle School

Sanger Academy

Charter K-8

Washington

Academic Middle School

High School Chapters

Bullard High School

Justin Garza High School

Liberty High School

Mission Oaks High School

Sanger Union High School

Sanger West High School

One-to-One

JOIN A CHAPTER

Join an existing school chapter! We have clubs at schools with & without special education programs.

START A CHAPTER

Friendship

JOIN CITIZENS (18+)

Make a friend while participating in inclusive activities with adults with and without IDD in your local area.

Conduct a practice interview for a jobseeking participant. We'll provide the interview questions, you ask away!

Be an inclusion leader by starting a chapter!

Receive support from Best Buddies staff every step of the way.

JOIN E-BUDDIES

Promote workplace readiness by teaching job skills to participants who are seeking competitive employment.

Sign up for our email-based pen pal program. E-Buddies provides virtual one-to-one friendship opportunities.

Chat with Best Buddies participants about your job and offer advice on how to enter into your career field.

HOST A MOCK INTERVIEW

Integrated Employment

Share the mission by encouraging your employer to participate in Best Buddies events and programs.

JOIN A CAREER PANEL

INVOLVE YOUR EMPLOYER

Leadership Development

BECOME AN AMBASSADOR

Attend an ambassador training to learn speech writing, public speaking, and advocacy skills.

BE A SPEECH COACH

BRING AN AMBASSADOR TO YOUR COMMUNITY

Invite an ambassador to speak about inclusion at your school or workplace!

Support the event planning process by joining a committee. Assist with logistics, publicity, sponsorships, and more!

Attend a training as a speech coach to support an individual on their journey to becoming an ambassador.

HOST A TRAINING

TheBestBuddiesFriendshipWalkistheleading walkinthecountrysupportinginclusionforpeople withintellectualanddevelopmentaldisabilities(also knownasIDD).Registertodayat BestBuddiesFriendshipWalk.org!

Get a group together to level up your leadership. We provide the content, you lead the training!

JOIN A COMMITTEE

Signature Events & Advisory Board

Advisory board members commit to a two-year term where they their skills and connections to expand our reach at the local *There is an application and interview process for this volunteer

We’re seeking employment partners ready to make a difference by hiring talented candidates from our Jobs program to foster a more inclusive workforce.

Name: Alex

Location: Fresno

Field Interest: Janitorial, Warehouse/Stocking

Related Experience:

Project SEARCH Graduate

Name: Anahi

Location: Fresno/Madera

Field Interest: Janitorial, Retail

Related Experience:

Project SEARCH Graduate, Janitorial, Spanish Speaker

Name: Bryce

Location: Fresno

Field Interest: Tech, Office, Thinking of School

Related Experience:

Project SEARCH Graduate

Best Buddies partners with companies to understand their employment needs and connect them with qualified, reliable, and dedicated candidates while providing ongoing guidance and support to ensure long-term success in the workplace.

To learn more about inclusive hiring, please contact: NicoleRodriguez@BestBuddies.org

Field Interest: Juice Bars, Coffee Shops, Gym

Related Experience:

Project SEARCH Graduate, Janitorial

Name: Matthew Location: Fresno

Field Interest: Nike, Sports, Special Olympics

Related Experience:

Project SEARCH Graduate, Special Olympics Name: David Location: Fresno

Name: Nickolas Location: Fresno

Field Interest: Fresno Chaffee Zoo, Airport, Police/Security

Related Experience: Project

SEARCH Graduate, Volunteers at Zoo for 5 years

Fresno Advisory Board

San Francisco Advisory Board San Francisco Advisory Board

Thank you for your leadership and dedication to our programs all year long!

Michelle Bradford Business Owner Custom Plus Construction

Shaneaya Garner

Director, Medical Surgical Services Community Regional Medical Center

Alicia Romer Sr. Manager, Small Business Engagement

Dave Castro Executive Coach

Fresno County Office of Education

Nick Lutton COO, Vice President & COO Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central CA

Thao Tran Systematic Advocate