Thank you to everyone who walked, donated, and supported our 2025 Best Buddies Friendship Walks! This year, across six unforgettable events, 3,876 walkers came together to raise more than $376,000 in support of our life-changing programs throughout California. Your generosity is helping us build a more inclusive world—and the impact is real.

To put these numbers into perspective:

• $7,500 can underwrite a full year of employment support for a participant in our Jobs program.
• $5,000 can help launch a new Friendship program on a school campus.
• $2,500 funds an entire day of leadership training for our student and adult leaders.

These walks are more than just events—they are the heart of our movement. They provide critical funding to sustain and expand our mission of inclusion, and we’re deeply grateful to every walker, donor, and fundraiser who made this year’s success possible.

From rain-soaked, record-breaking turnouts in Los Angeles, Sacramento, and San Diego to the exciting debut of our Orange County Walk, 2025 was full of memorable milestones. A special shoutout goes to our incredible Orange County community—our inaugural OC Walk welcomed over 600 registered participants and nearly doubled its original fundraising goal. The energy and passion from this new community blew us away, and we can’t wait to see how it grows in the years to come.

Each walk was a celebration of friendship, leadership, and possibility. We saw countless moments of joy, connection, and inclusion—moments that will fuel our mission for the months ahead. Want to relive the magic? Be sure to check out our photo albums on Facebook.

We also want to celebrate Max Masius, our 2025 top fundraiser in California! Max led the charge in Los Angeles and raised nearly $8,700 to support inclusion. “Thank you, Max, for your unwavering commitment and leadership.”

We are beyond grateful to all of our corporate sponsors throughout the state – their commitment and generosity in supporting our programs is unmatched. Our top sponsor throughout the state, Waymo, has gone above and beyond to ensure we have the funds needed to sustain and grow our programs. They served as a presenting sponsor for our LA walk and a platinum sponsor for the Bay Area event. Their support extends far past financials, as we both are committed to making the world a more accessible place.

Together, we are creating communities where everyone belongs. Thank you for walking with us. We’ll see you in 2026! To learn more about the Friendship Walk, visit: https://www.bestbuddiesfriendshipwalk.org/