Best Buddies in Arizona is thrilled to announce a $50,000 grant from Thunderbirds Charities to support our School Friendship Project. This generous funding will help us continue creating inclusive school communities where students with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) can build meaningful one-to-one friendships.

The grant will directly support 56 active elementary, middle, and high school chapters throughout the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan area and will allow us to expand into five new schools during the current school year. Through these programs, students with IDD are empowered to engage in everyday school experiences, developing confidence, self-esteem, and lifelong friendships in the process.

“Thunderbirds Charities is proud to support Best Buddies in Arizona,” said Matt Mooney, President of Thunderbirds Charities. “This program does such great work in our community by supporting inclusion for all students in school. The connections and confidence gained from the participants in this program is invaluable.”

“We are incredibly grateful to Thunderbirds Charities for believing in the power of inclusion,” said Lisa Cleary, State Director of Best Buddies in Arizona. “This grant allows us to not only strengthen our current school friendships but also reach more students across the Valley, ensuring that every student, regardless of ability, has the opportunity to feel connected, valued, and supported.”

We are deeply thankful for the support of Thunderbirds Charities as we continue working toward a future where inclusion is the norm, not the exception.