On June 26th, The Best Buddies Philadelphia Citizens program came together to celebrate a major achievement: raising over $11,000 for the 2025 Friendship Walk! To honor this amazing effort, our Citizens community hosted a summer celebration party filled with all the best ingredients: pizza, crafts, Spikeball, cornhole, water ice, and of course, a whole lot of friendship and connection!!

We welcomed around 40 attendees to the event, creating a vibrant and inclusive atmosphere where old friends reconnected and new friendships were formed. One of the highlights of the day was celebrating not one, but two new buddy matches in the Citizens program!

First, we introduced Daniel and Steve. Daniel is new to the Citizens program and comes to us from the Saint Joe’s University chapter. Steve is a long-time Citizens member and serves on the Best Buddies Philadelphia Advisory Board. Their connection has already been filled with laughter and shared interests, and we’re excited to watch their friendship grow!

Next, we celebrated the match of Rob and Catherine. Rob recently joined the Citizens program, while Catherine is no stranger to Best Buddies, having been involved in both our high school and college programs. Together, Rob and Catherine are making history as the first buddy pair from Best Buddies PHL Citizens to attend the Best Buddies Leadership Conference (BBLC)! We can’t wait to see the impact they’ll make in just a few short weeks.

“The Citizens program is where I’ve seen some of the most genuine, lasting friendships form,” said Brianna Wolfle, Director of State Operations and Programs for Best Buddies in Pennsylvania. “Events like this remind me how strong our group is, we show up for each other, have a great time together, and celebrate one another for big and small wins.”

The Summer Party was a perfect way to honor the hard work and dedication of everyone involved in making this year’s Friendship Walk a success. We’re so proud of our Citizens community and everything they continue to accomplish together.

Interested in joining the Citizens program or learning more? Please reach out to Brianna Wolfle at BriannaWolfle@bestbuddies.org. We’d love to welcome you into the Best Buddies family!