By Tom Lambke
The Arizona Republic (Phoenix, AZ) 10/14

On Sept. 25, my family and I attended the sixth annual Best Buddies Spirit of Friendship Ball.

For the fourth year in a row, it was held in the front yard of the home of Channel 3's Tara Hitchcock and her husband, Kenn Francis, in Scottsdale. Each year, we are amazed at their generosity in holding the event at their home.

Best Buddies is the world's largest non-profit organization devoted solely to providing opportunities for one-to-one friendships and integrated employment for people with intellectual disabilities. It positively impacts hundreds of thousands of individuals each year.

This year's theme was Best Buddies Goes Hollywood, and the guests were asked to come as their favorite Hollywood celebrity.

My family and the other guests were knocked out by Kurt Warner and his wife, Brenda, who came as characters from “Austin Powers.” We were also thrilled to meet Matt Leinart as Fred Flintstone, Larry Fitzgerald as a character from “Scrubs” and comic/impersonator Frank Caliendo, who treated my family to our own John Madden show and then did a hilarious 15-minute routine for the crowd.

We want to thank Kathleen Rubi, Best Buddies Arizona director, and her staff for their tireless efforts to top the previous year's event. They are amazing, and we have no idea how they do that each year.

Best Buddies founder and chairman Anthony Kennedy Shriver was the honored guest and his speech was awe-inspiring.

It was a special moment when Tom Horne, state superintendent of public instruction, presented Rubi with a generous $225,000 check. It was very satisfying to again meet and speak with former Arizona Diamondback Russ Ortiz, who continues to support Best Buddies Arizona through his Russ Ortiz Foundation.

But the magical part was when we heard a buddy, Charles Calhoun, tell his story and why Best Buddies is so important in his life. Because of Charles and the other buddies there, those in attendance who did not really understand what Best Buddies was all about quickly learned.

Best Buddies has been important in our son Bryan's life. More importantly, they have been an integral part of all our lives because it allows us to do things as a family. Each year when we participate in a Best Buddies Bike Challenge, we always say it is the last time because of the exhausting effort it takes to raise more than $4,000. And each year on our 10-hour ride home from the Hearst Castle in California, we talk about doing it again because of the special time we experienced.

And each year after attending the annual ball, we just know that we will be raising the money again because of what it means to those in need of a friend. And because of Bryan, we understand how truly blessed we are.

Tom Lambke of Chandler is a paraprofessional in special education at Corona del Sol High School. He and Bryan were on the advisory board of Best Buddies Arizona for two years.