December 7, 2026

5:30 - 10:00 PM | Pittsburgh, PA

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TasteBuds Presented By:

TasteBuds is celebrating TEN YEARS!

For a decade, Best Buddies Pittsburgh has brought together some of the city’s top chefs and incredible individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) for one unforgettable night of food, friendship, and inclusion. This year, we’re celebrating Ten Years of TasteBuds, and we’re making our milestone anniversary bigger and better than ever!

At the heart of TasteBuds is a one-of-a-kind partnership: each participating chef teams up with a Best Buddies sous chef to create and serve a signature dish. These incredible pairings showcase what TasteBuds has always been about, great food bringing people together and friendships that extend far beyond the kitchen.

We’re also bringing back Champion of the Year, featuring an inspiring group of community leaders competing in a 10-week campaign to raise funds and awareness for Best Buddies. One Champion will be crowned live during our anniversary celebration!

Expect incredible food from Pittsburgh’s culinary community, tasty sips, live entertainment, an exciting auction, and plenty of special touches celebrating TEN Years of TasteBuds.

Most importantly, every bite helps support Best Buddies’ life-changing Friendship, Living, and Leadership Development programs for people with IDD throughout Pennsylvania.

Ten years of incredible flavors. Ten years of unforgettable friendships. One amazing night!

Try new flavors. Make new friends. Celebrate TEN YEARS of TasteBuds!

Emcee: Channing Powell

Channing is a Pittsburgh-based storyteller, creative marketer, and experienced event emcee who has built her career around storytelling, connection, and community. With more than a decade of experience in marketing and brand communications, she has hosted fundraisers, galas, and community events throughout Pittsburgh. Whether she’s behind a microphone or telling a story through a screen, she brings warmth, energy, and a love for the people and stories that make Pittsburgh special.

Emcee: Heather Abraham

Heather Abraham co-hosts KDKA's Pittsburgh Today Live with David Highfield, every weekday morning at 9AM; and is the co-host of Talk Pittsburgh, every weekday afternoon at 3PM. It was an exciting homecoming for Heather when she joined KDKA in 2010. She grew up in Shaler Township and graduated from Shaler Area High School. She continued her education at West Virginia University where she studied Broadcast News. Heather is an award winning journalist. She has been nominated for several Emmy's, including for her role in hosting PTL. When she's not anchoring or hosting, Heather loves spending time with her family. Her husband Frank is a City of Pittsburgh firefighter. They have three children and two dogs and are loving the chaos of life.  

Auctioneer: Matt Newsom

Matt Newsom has helped high-profile charities through the United States generate millions of dollars in fundraising. As a licensed benefit auctioneer, he brings over 30 years of event management and public speaking experience to every fundraising gala. He is brought his energy balanced with sincerity to over 350 fundraising events that have raised over $50,000,000.

Schedule

Monday, December 7, 2026
Doors Open: 5:30PM
VIP Hour: 6:00PM
General Admission: 7:00PM
Program: 8:30PM

Attire: Cocktail

Ticketing
There are no physical tickets. All guests will have their names listed at the door.

Location

The David L. Lawrence Convention Center
1000 Fort Duquesne Blvd.
Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Event Contact

FallonDeRiggi@bestbuddies.org

Meet our 2026 Champion Candidates:

Congrats to our 2025 Pittsburgh Champion of the Year

Kiera Loftus

Raised over $23,000 for Best Buddies in Pittsburgh

Auctioneer
Matt Newsom

As a Hairy Cell Leukemia survivor, the first galas I supported benefited the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society who developed the treatment that put me into remission. My life experiences have brought me to benefit auctioneering. Being a benefit auctioneer allows me to put all three of these strengths to work for each of my non-profit partners. Doing what I’m good at plus doing what I enjoy plus helping so many worthy causes is the perfect combination for me!

Emcee
Heather Abraham

Heather Abraham co-hosts KDKA’s “Pittsburgh Today Live,” with David Highfield, every weekday morning at 9AM; and is the host of Talk Pittsburgh, every weekday afternoon at 3PM. Being an active part of the community is very important to Heather. She’s been involved with the Special Olympics of Pennsylvania, even taking part in their annual polar plunge fundraiser, as well as Hair Peace Charities, Animal Friends, and the KDKA-TV Turkey Fund. Her community involvement, though, includes being a good neighbor! She established an annual block party and helped to create a safe Light Up Night on her street during the 2020 COVID pandemic.

Restaurants

A Glimpse of the Party

About Best Buddies

All funds raised benefit Best Buddies – the world’s largest organization dedicated to ending the social, physical and economic isolation of the 200 million people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Our programs empower the special abilities of people with IDD by helping them form meaningful friendships with their peers, secure successful jobs, live independently, improve public speaking, self-advocacy and communication skills, and feel valued by society.

The IDD community that Best Buddies serves includes, but is not limited to, people with Down Syndrome, Autism, Fragile X, Williams Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, traumatic brain injury and other undiagnosed disabilities.

We Love our Sponsors!

Presenting Sponsor

Additional Sponsors

For event information and sponsorship opportunities, contact FallonDeRiggi@bestbuddies.org.