• Our Programs
    • WHAT WE DO
      • Mission
      • Impact
      • Vision and Goals
      • History
    • PROGRAMS
      • Friendship
      • Jobs
      • Leadership Development
      • Living
      • Family Support
    • MISSION IN ACTION
      • Featured Profiles
      • Videos
  • Take Action
    • Join a Program
    • Start a Chapter
    • Hire a Buddy
    • Volunteer
    • Donate
    • Fundraise
    • Attend an Event
    • Advocate
    • Spread The Word
    • Join Team Rosemary
    • Planned Giving
  • Find Programs
    • United States
    • International
  • Media
    • News
    • Press Releases
  • Our Supporters
    • Celebrity Ambassadors
    • Corporations
    • Foundations
    • Government
    • Team Relentless
  • About Us
    • OUR TEAM
      • Founder and Chairman
      • Board of Directors
      • Office Directory
      • Career Opportunities
    • FINANCIAL INFO
      • Annual Report
      • Where The Dollar Goes
      • IRS Form 990
  • Donate
  • Attend an Event
  • Shop
  • Fine Art
    • Fine Art Collection
    • David Yarrow Photography
  • Members Area
Skip to Content
Donate
Members Area
  • Fine Art
    ▼
    • Fine Art Collection
    • David Yarrow Photography
Shop
Best Buddies International Best Buddies International
  • Our Programs
    • WHAT WE DO
      • Mission
      • Impact
      • Vision and Goals
      • History
    • PROGRAMS
      • Friendship
      • Jobs
      • Leadership Development
      • Living
      • Family Support
    • MISSION IN ACTION
      • Featured Profiles
      • Videos
  • Take Action
    • Join a Program
    • Start a Chapter
    • Hire a Buddy
    • Volunteer
    • Donate
    • Fundraise
    • Attend an Event
    • Advocate
    • Spread The Word
    • Join Team Rosemary
    • Planned Giving
  • Find Programs
    • United States
    • International
  • Media
    • News
    • Press Releases
  • Our Supporters
    • Celebrity Ambassadors
    • Corporations
    • Foundations
    • Government
    • Team Relentless
  • About Us
    • OUR TEAM
      • Founder and Chairman
      • Board of Directors
      • Office Directory
      • Career Opportunities
    • FINANCIAL INFO
      • Annual Report
      • Where The Dollar Goes
      • IRS Form 990
  • Donate
  • Attend an Event
  • Shop
  • Fine Art
    • Fine Art Collection
    • David Yarrow Photography
  • Members Area
Home: Best Buddies International logo
DONATE

Friendship, inclusion, and the power of showing up: How Best Buddies is building belonging in Colorado’s Roaring Fork Valley

Friendship, inclusion, and the power of showing up: How Best Buddies is building belonging in Colorado’s Roaring Fork Valley

Friendship, inclusion, and the power of showing up: How Best Buddies is building belonging in Colorado’s Roaring Fork Valley

May 22, 2025 | Colorado News, News, News Front Page |
Two teenage girls smile while standing outdoors on a sunny day. One wears a blue shirt and a dark Best Buddies baseball cap, and the other wears a light green crop top and denim shorts. They stand close together, with arms around each other, showing friendship and inclusion. The background is filled with greenery and blurred buildings.

Rachael Fischer is a skier, a storyteller, and a state director with a mission. The Indiana native now leads Best Buddies in Colorado, part of a global nonprofit born from the Kennedy-Shriver legacy, that’s redefining inclusion for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). We met for coffee and our conversation quickly shifted from ski stories to something powder day deep — how one organization is transforming communities, one friendship at a time.

Read the full article here.

Tags: Anthony Kennedy ShriveraspenBest Buddies Friendship WalkBest Buddies in ColoradoChampion of the year galacolorado friendship walkfamily supportFriendship Programglobalinclusion for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD)integrated employmentleadership developmentone-to-one friendships
0
Share

You also might be interested in

Delivering Jobs Campaign to Create Pathways to One Million Employment and Leadership Opportunities by 2025 for People with Autism, Intellectual and/or Developmental Differences

Delivering Jobs Campaign to Create Pathways to One Million Employment and Leadership Opportunities by 2025 for People with Autism, Intellectual and/or Developmental Differences

Oct 22, 2019

Autism Speaks, Best Buddies and Special Olympics, with the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), are launching Delivering Jobs, an inclusion campaign designed to create pathways to one million employment and leadership opportunities for people with IDD by 2025.

Best Buddies CEO partners with special companion as thousands of bicyclists prepare for Dolphins Cancer Challenge

Best Buddies CEO partners with special companion as thousands of bicyclists prepare for Dolphins Cancer Challenge

Mar 2, 2026

MIAMI (WSVN) - As thousands of bicyclists prepare to take on the Dolphins Cancer Challenge, the CEO of Best Buddies is preparing for a special ride with a good friend. More than 8,500 people have signed up to take part in the annual Dolphins Cancer Challenge this year. Among those hitting the streets with a purpose is Anthony Shriver, the CEO of Best Buddies. His nonprofit organization promotes inclusion for those with disabilities.

Monacan High School: Building Bridges of Inclusion and Friendship

Monacan High School: Building Bridges of Inclusion and Friendship

Feb 6, 2025

Inclusion is important, so everyone feels important ... and nobody gets left out.

Latest News

Inclusion promoted at Best Buddies Leadership Conference

Inclusion promoted at Best Buddies Leadership Conference

July 31, 2026

Over the weekend, thousands of Best Buddies participants from around the world convened at Indiana University for the Best Buddies Leadership Conference. For many, this isn’t just a conference — it’s a reunion.

Introducing Best Buddies Golf: Driving Inclusion Through the Game We Love

Introducing Best Buddies Golf: Driving Inclusion Through the Game We Love

July 30, 2026

A new fundraising initiative that brings together a passion for golf and a commitment to creating opportunities for individuals with IDD.

Nearly 2,800 Global Leaders to Gather at the 2026 Best Buddies Leadership Conference

Nearly 2,800 Global Leaders to Gather at the 2026 Best Buddies Leadership Conference

July 14, 2026

Nearly 2,800 global leaders will gather July 17–20 at the 2026 Best Buddies Leadership Conference, where the theme "One Team, One World" celebrates friendship, leadership, and inclusion through inspiring speakers, training, and shared experiences.

Best Buddies International Logo

Best Buddies International

Global Headquarters
100 Southeast Second St, Suite 2200
Miami, FL 33131

Toll Free: 1-800-89 BUDDY (28339)

  • Find a US Program
  • Find an International Program
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Career Opportunities
  • Office Directory
newsletter
Want to connect
with Best Buddies?

Sign up for our emails

Privacy & Accessibility Statement
©2026 Best buddies international
A 501(c)(3) Organization
Prev Next