Miami, March 15, 2010 – Best Buddies International, a groundbreaking nonprofit founded in 1989 by Anthony Kennedy Shriver to establish a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs), is currently in the running to receive a $250,000 grant from the Pepsi Refresh Project.

This grant would help Best Buddies support its 2010 Student Leadership Conference, an annual event that brings student leaders with and without IDDs from Best Buddies high school and college chapters around the world together. During the Conference, these students will receive leadership training and explore topics such as social inclusion, advocacy for people with IDDs, and volunteer management.  With this grant, Best Buddies will be able to cover the costs for 1,100 attendees.

The grant would also help support the organization’s Buddies United in Leadership Development Program (BUILD) which prepares participants with IDDs to be Buddy Ambassadors, or self-advocates.

In order to receive this grant, Best Buddies needs as many votes as possible (the project that receives the most votes will receive the grant).  So, it would be great if you could encourage your audience to support Best Buddies in this endeavor by asking them to visit www.bestbuddies.org/refresh, where they can learn more about Best Buddies and the grant proposal, watch an inspiring video, and most importantly - vote once a day, every day throughout the month of March, which is also Best Buddies Month.

“I hope everyone will vote for our project so we can get the resources to bring hundreds of our participants with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities to our Leadership Conference, where we can offer them the training and support they need to become advocates and leaders - and change the world, one friendship at a time,” says Anthony Kennedy Shriver, founder and chairman of Best Buddies International.

If you or your audience needs even more motivation to support the Best Buddies project, check out what some of the organization’s amazing celebrity supporters, including Louis Aguirre, Maria Shriver, Kevin Spacey, Cindy Crawford, Tom Brady, Sean Penn and David Caruso, have to say about it at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0Kdc7hwrZA&feature=youtube_gdata.

Refresh lives: VOTE NOW for social inclusion, advocacy and empowerment. VOTE NOW and help Best Buddies win $250,000!

About Best Buddies International:

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 and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs). Founded in 1989 by Anthony Kennedy Shriver, Best Buddies is a vibrant organization that has grown from one original chapter to more than 1,500 middle school, high school, and college chapters worldwide.  Best Buddies programs engage participants in each of the 50 United States, as well as 46 countries, with additional ones under development.  Best Buddies six formal programs – Best Buddies Middle Schools, High Schools, Colleges, Citizens, e-Buddies and Jobs – positively impact more than 700,000 individuals with and without IDDs annually. As a result of their involvement with Best Buddies, people with IDDs secure rewarding jobs, live on their own, and make lifelong friendships. For more information, please visit www.bestbuddies.org.

Media Contacts:

Best Buddies International: Jennifer Grau, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 305.374.2233, x245.