Best Buddies International

The Beta Chi pledge class of Alpha Kappa Psi is pairing with Best Buddies Int. to raise money for students with special needs. We are dedicated to making a difference in our community in any way we can. Best Buddies promotes more than just inclusion it encourages and empowers those with disabilities. With every donation, you are helping to fund Best Buddies clubs at schools all over the country.

Our goal is to raise at least $2500 for Best Buddies Int. 100% of the proceeds will be sent directly to BestBuddies.org. If you feel compelled to donate, you can do so through GoFundMe.com under the name "Best Buddies X Beta Chi" or Venmo @BetaChi2021.

Along with colleagues from Forrester, we are participating in a Move-A-Thon and raising money to benefit Best Buddies International. We are doing this to draw attention and provide monetary support to diversity and inclusion (D&I) at work -- Abilities specifically. Other groups of colleagues are doing a similar effort around our other D&I pillars -- Gender, Race/Ethnicity, Age, and LGBTQ+. Best Buddies provides a range of opportunities and services, including helping promote and match employment for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. (More on Best Buddies below.)

The Abilities team includes: Amanda LeClair, Brianna Kane, Carolyn Smith, Chris Andrews, Chris Hoy, Dan Costello Jr., Gina Bhawalkar, Jessica Troiano, Jezzica Bellitti, Joe Cicman, Kina Kellogg, Liz Herbert, Melissa Kleinholz, Michelle Allen, Morgan Steele, Sarah Brinks, Sarah Montague, Sherri Kottmann, and Shirley Macbeth.

We are all setting activity goals for the virtual Move-A-Thon event on the weekend of November 20th -- walking, biking, running, and doing other activities (BMX, Peloton, and more) in honor of our cause.

Any donation will help make an impact. Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to us.

More information about Best Buddies International: 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 and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Yes, it's depressing that the Capitals made an early exit from the Stanley Cup Playoffs this year. And yes, it's hard to watch the Stanley Cup Final without our favorite team. But the Cup is ours until June, and NoVa Caps has a way to turn a bad situation into some good: the Nova Caps Charity Challenge.

Our challenge is simple: take the money you would have spent at a watch party or on a playoff ticket and contribute to a good cause. Our charity: Best Buddies Capital Region, a charity that the Capitals have long supported. 

Best Buddies is a non-profit that promotes social inclusion, job opportunities, leadership development, and inclusive living for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Best Buddies Virginia & DC serves 3,600 students at 14 middle schools, 37 high schools, and 12 colleges.

Best Buddies Jobs is a supported-employment program which helps adults with IDD gain employment to be more self-sufficient. The organization evaluates each person's interests and strengths to help them find the best match in the workplace.

Best Buddies also has a job program which helps those with IDD gain employment to be more self-sufficient. The organization evaluates each person's interests and strengths to help them find the best match in the workplace.

Capitals owner Ted Leonsis is a long-time supporter of Best Buddies. Leonsis has been a supporter and advocate of Best Buddies since 1998. As vice-chairman of AOL, he launched and initially publically funded "e-Buddies," an e-mail pen-pal program, and he was part of the first e-Buddies pair with his buddy of more than 20 years, Ken Holden. The two are great friends to this very day and have exchanged over 10,000 emails over the years.

To see how long Leonsis has helped out the organization, see how he looked when his relationship with Best Buddies started.



Former Capitals Head Coach Barry Trotz has also been a huge supporter of the organization, both in Washington and in Nashville when he was the head coach of the Nashville Predators. His wife, Kim, held a Best Buddies skating party at MedStar Capitals Iceplex when Trotz was in Washington. He inspired people in the program, talking about raising his son, Nolan, who has a disability.

Photo: WashingtonCapitals.com

In an interview with the Capitals' website, Trotz said "Best Buddies has had a tremendous impact on Nolan's life, as well as countless other participants, from peers to buddies and beyond. Their programming positively influences many lives, and the awareness and funding the walk brings to the organization is instrumental to their continued success."

NoVa Caps wants you to rise to the challenge and help this great organization. Let's do this Caps fans!

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More information about Best Buddies International: 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 and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Note: all proceeds raised through this program will be sent by GoFundMe directly to Best Buddies and cannot be used for any other purpose.

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 and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Hi friends, join me in making a difference by supporting a good cause! I'm raising money for Best Buddies International and any donation will help make an impact. Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to me.