Volunteers with Best Buddies VA & DC can serve a lot of roles, not the least of which is a friend. 

Heywood “Woody” Axelson volunteered with Best Buddies on our Walk and Prom Committees for the last two years, and this year introduced his company, JBG Smith to Best Buddies and they have graciously committed to a sponsorship of this year’s Friendship Walk! In 2020, with COVID-19 changing his work schedule with less travel he decided to sign up for the Citizens Adult Friendship Program. He was soon matched with Bobby!  While they have never “met in person” – they have bonded pretty quickly as two really, really nice guys!

Bobby says:

“Woody is great and understanding and likes everything that I like… and he is very smart. We watched a movie and did a virtual escape room, and also, I took a walk in the woods near my house and face timed Woody while I was walking. I got to show him some of my art too!”

Bobby adds, “Best Buddies is great, it’s awesome and it’s for everyone of all ages!”

Woody got involved with Best Buddies first in college at Wake Forest where his girlfriend was very involved and they had all kinds of events.  But he says his favorite part of Best Buddies now is being friends with Bobby.  He gets to have one-to-one conversations with him as they text or zoom or watch a movie.  Bobby and Woody both look forward to actually meeting each other and maybe taking a walk in Rock Creek Park or getting ice cream in Georgetown this summer.

Woody encourages others to be part of Best Buddies because it really gives you an opportunity to learn about someone new.