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Best Buddies in Illinois

@bestbuddiesil

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Illinois Office for Best Buddies! Creating inclusive communities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities!

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Beautiful blooms, meaningful moments, and a whole lot of heart! 🌸💐

We had such a wonderful time with the participants of Best Buddies as they got creative putting together beautiful fall floral arrangements for the Best Buddies Gala! 🍂

Each arrangement was uniquely made, filled with creativity, joy, and a personal touch. We loved seeing everyone’s personalities shine through their creations!

What a special opportunity to come together, create something beautiful, and celebrate a wonderful organization! 💛 by @bestbuddiesil

The Silent Auction is LIVE! Check out all the incredible items that are up for dibs for the Champion of the Year in Central Illinois. Get something good and support Best Buddies!

Link in the bio! by @bestbuddiesil

Did somebody say Medal Monday? 🥇

Amazing energy on the course yesterday for my first @chimarathon. Just shy of my PB, 4:02:26 ain’t bad for a boy who was a proud member of the ‘slack pack’ in high school cross country.

Many thanks to all who supported my fundraising efforts for @bestbuddies. Together, we raised an incredible $3,185 to support kids & adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

On to the next 👀 by @bestbuddiesil

One week until the Chicago Marathon! 🏃‍♀️💙

Marathon #3 is almost here, and I’m so excited to be running this one in support of Best Buddies, a cause that has been part of my life since middle school!

Check out my personal page for more on my road to Chicago and how you can support! 🫶 by @bestbuddiesil

Mark your calendars now for Best Buddies Day with the Chicago Wolves on January 17! There's plenty of time to get your tickets (link in bio), so save the date and we'll see ya then! by @bestbuddiesil

The next round of Ambassador Academy starts one week from today! Join us monthly, from October to May, for one hour, and become a Best Buddies in Illinois State Ambassador! Apply here: https://loom.ly/oT1GlyY

Breonna, a Graduated State Ambassador, has this to say about her time: "I was able to write speeches, make new friends, and learn from different people across the state! I developed new skills and was able to celebrate my success with my family when I graduated!" by @bestbuddiesil

Are you a student in a Best Buddies Program? Are you interested in taking your impact a step further and helping guide Best Buddies in Illinois? Now's your chance! Join the Student Advisory Board! The SAB is a group of high school and college student leaders who will work alongside Best Buddies staff to support programs and initiatives at the state level.

Applications are due on October 2 and can be found at the link in our bio! Here are all of the other important dates:
October 2: Application due
October 16: SAB members selected
November 1: SAB term begins
June 15, 2027: SAB term ends by @bestbuddiesil

Our Best Buddies chapters have been busy! There have already been match parties, homecoming floats, window painting, volunteer days, and lots of fun in between. We can’t wait to see how all of these incredible friendships and chapters continue to grow! by @bestbuddiesil

Some thank-yous are in order! Thank you to our partners at Picket Fence for hosting multiple Citizens events over the last month and working with us to expand our mission. Picket Fence recently hosted Music Bingo for our current and potential Citizens members to get to know each other. A big thank you to Jamie, our Central Illinois Citizens lead, for taking the reins and working to bring more friendships to the area.
If you are interested in joining Citizens, you can do so at Bestbuddies.org/join or email us at illinois@bestbuddies.org. by @bestbuddiesil

Champion of the Year has officially kicked off in Chicago! Ten incredible community members have taken on the challenge and will spend the next 8 weeks competing to see who will take home the 2026 crown! Please join me in welcoming the 2026 Chicago Champion class! by @bestbuddiesil

"Libby Flatt can pinpoint the moment she knew Best Buddies was working. One of her students looked up from the cafeteria table and said, “We used to sit at our own table at lunch, but now we don’t have our own table anymore — because we’re sitting with everyone else.”"

Herrin Junior High was recently highlighted in a Journey Twelve article, a community page for their school district. Congratulations, Herrin, on not only this well-deserved highlight, but all the work you're doing to make your school more inclusive, one friendship at a time. Please drop some celebrations in the comments for this chapter!

You can read the rest of the article at the link in our bio! by @bestbuddiesil

Things are heating up here at Best Buddies with Local Leadership Training Days... Literally! Shout-out to all of our student leaders and the local firefighters for keeping it cool. We promise the rest of LLTDs will be just as exciting... minus the emergency! by @bestbuddiesil