Best Buddies North Carolina is so excited to announce our first class of Champion of the Year candidates! Through 10 weeks of raising funds and awareness for Best Buddies, our Champions will generate countless opportunities for friendships, jobs, and leadership development for people with IDD.

Sami and Willie are both sixth graders and were matched in October 2018. This was the first year of Best Buddies at Jay M Robinson Middle School. Their friendship strengthened quickly as the two spent a lot of time together at recess, Special Olympics events and during electives.

At their Sorting Hat Match Party, Alli Serdinsky pulled the name of her Peer Buddy from the hat. Alli squealed, “Lizzy!” Both smiling ear to ear, they hugged. That hug was the first of many hugs to come and the beginning of an amazing friendship…

Time Warner Cable News anchor Claudine Chalfant sits down with Marty Sumichrast to talk about an upcoming fundraiser to help create a Best Buddies headquarters in North Carolina.  Sumichrast works to generate interest and funds to make this vision come to fruition.