A Message to Team Maria from Anthony K. Shriver
Team Maria, First off, thank you for your incredible commitment to Best Buddies, the Challenge and Team Maria! I am sorry Maria won’t be at the event this year, as she has been such an unbelievable supporter of Best Buddies and the Challenge. As you may know, she is attending a family wedding that I couldn’t bring myself to attend because I couldn’t miss the ride… or maybe I wasn’t invited, and that made the decision a little easier. Regardless, we are counting on YOU to keep the Team Maria legacy going forward this year. For the last five years, Team Maria has been awarded the Citizens Cup for your achievement as the Top Fundraising community team, a huge accomplishment, and I AM EXCITED about this weekend! Click below for my video message to you.
Currently the team is ranked 4th, just $17,000 out of a top-3 finish! Let’s honor Maria and her commitment by making a huge push this last week and half. We need to get up and over $150,000 in order to get back in the running for the Top Community team. As we enter this final stretch, it’s crucial that we step up our fundraising and go that extra mile toward creating a world of friendship and inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. At this year’s Leadership Conference, our buddy Jack Mayor spoke about his journey with Best Buddies. His mother, Diane, sent a letter to me after his experience. “As a parent of a child that struggles daily, you just want your kid to be happy, feel loved and wanted. Best Buddies has given that to my son and so much more than we ever expected.” Watch Jack’s speech and read the rest of Diane’s letter here.