Need the quick details? We have you covered! Here is a summary:

• A HUGE Best Buddies thank you to all of our chapters in helping us meet this important November 1st BB360 deadline! Your dedication does not go unnoticed, and we appreciate everything you do. Team Best Buddies in Georgia for the win!

• We are proud to introduce new themes in our Buddy Beat newsletters! November’s theme is all about fundraising 💵 - you don’t want to miss this!

• Thank YOU for being a friend 🤝! We hope you join us at The Standard Atlanta (708 Spring Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30308) from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 17th for our Best Buddies in Georgia Friendsgiving event in collaboration with our Atlanta Metro Citizens chapter! Bring a dish and your buddy, and meet us there! Please click here for the registration link.

• SAVE THE DATE: Back to Best Buddies will take place on Saturday, February 8, 2025 from 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. at the Microsoft Office, 200 17th St NW, Atlanta, GA 30363. You don’t want to miss this fun, in-person training experience to ensure that your chapter has a successful spring semester! Please register here!

• Are you interested in becoming a public speaker with Best Buddies 📣? We are excited to host our next Best Buddies in Georgia Ambassador’s Training on Saturday, February 1st at The Standard Atlanta from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m., hosted by Miss Georgia South USA 2024, Irielle Duncan! Register HERE.

• Just a reminder to complete your chapter check-in form each month—it’s a big help in keeping our communication flowing throughout the year! Each school should submit this form monthly, and it only takes 5-7 minutes to complete. We truly enjoy reading your updates and staying connected with you! Click HERE for the Chapter Check-In Form Link.

• Check out our 2024 Champion of the Year recap!

• Not an email person? Join our community on Remind to get updates there!

  • Faculty Advisors Remind Group - https://www.remind.com/join/764kgf2

  • Student Leaders Remind Group - https://www.remind.com/join/g8868e7

• Check out our buddy spotlight featuring Ayden and Kyla from Dade County High School!

• Gear up for an exciting fall semester, and most importantly, have fun!

With You, We Can Do Anything—Thank You!

Happy November, Faculty Advisors and Student Leaders,

I want to extend a sincere thank you for your incredible effort in keeping everything up-to-date in BB360!

Thanks to your hard work and attention to detail in uploading meetings, matches, member rosters, and events by the November 1st deadline, as we move forward in full compliance with HQ. This achievement is especially meaningful as Best Buddies International is prioritizing strict adherence to these requirements with very little to no exceptions — we couldn’t do this work without you 😊!

Please know that I am always in your corner, ready to support you in any way you need. Whether it’s troubleshooting BB360, brainstorming new ideas, or just lending an ear, I’m here for you!

Now that the deadline has passed, we’re excited to bring the focus back to the fun and impactful experiences that make Best Buddies special…👀

In this month’s Chapter Check-In Form…we are asking your chapter to vote between two fun event ideas before we wrap for the holidays in December! Since our community with Best Buddies in Georgia is too massive to meet all in one place, this event will take place virtually. All school levels are welcomed!

We want you to take this question back to your chapters:

This event would be open to your entire chapter community, and we hope to see you there for fun and friendship! The date would occur the week of December 16th at 6:00 p.m.; more details to follow once we have your votes!

Also, in each upcoming newsletter, you can look forward to a few key topics and tips designed to help you have a successful, fulfilling year. Fundraising has been a pretty popular topic for group activities and Leadership Conference, so November’s Buddy Beat will spotlight tried and true ideas for successful fundraising.

Thank you again for all you do for our mission and for your incredible dedication to your chapter and broader community with Best Buddies in Georgia. Here’s to a fantastic year ahead!

In friendship,

Doug Peters
Deputy Director, Programs
Best Buddies in Georgia

Making Cents: Top Ideas to Boost Your Club's Budget

Here are a few proven, low-cost fundraiser ideas that can help raise awareness about Best Buddies and unify your school for a fun cause, all while increasing the fun and prioritizing the mission!

• GroupRaise 💵

  GroupRaise is a website that allows you to coordinate with local restaurants for “give-back” nights, where a percentage of the night’s profits are donated to Best Buddies when customers mention Best Buddies at your school or bring in a flyer. Several of our schools used this website to set-up their fundraisers, and it allowed them to generate a quick profit! Visit www.groupraise.com, pick a restaurant and a date, create a flyer on Canva or other site to promote/send home, and voila!
  

• Car Wash 🚗

  Step up a traditional car wash with fun themes, like “90’s Day,” “Superhero Day,” or “Winter Wonderland,” where students dress up and provide car-washing services. Charge a fee per car, add a few fun Best Buddies signs, promote, and your event is done!
  

• Bake Sale 🍪/Coffee Cart ☕
  Have chapter members and volunteers bake and donate treats, such as cookies, cupcakes, or brownies. Set up a stand at a school event or in a high-traffic area, with all proceeds going to Best Buddies. Another version of this event would be to manage a coffee/hot chocolate cart with snacks to sell. Several of our school chapters do this regularly during the school day, and it has yielded positive results. Grab your buddy, roam the halls during busy/break periods, and share the mission!
  

• Best Buddies Garage/Yard Sale 🛒
  Hold a community-wide garage sale with donated items from Best Buddies members and families. Set up tables in a designated area, set prices, and let visitors shop for hidden treasures. Collaborate at large events like homecoming or field day, and you can gain traction!
  

• Talent Show🎤
  Showcase the talents of students, teachers, and administration by hosting a talent show! Charge an admission fee and sell concessions, and you have a fun event. Make it a friendly competition with a prize for the winning act.

• Buddy Ball 🥻
  Pull out your best outfit and host a small-scale Buddy Ball at your school! Collaborate with another organization to gain popularity, see if you can get snacks donated, book your school’s gym/auditorium, and charge a small fee to participate. Best Buddies at Norcross host their Buddy Ball each year, and our buds over at Marietta High School and Cedar Grove are also planning their Buddy Ball events for the spring!
  

• Best Buddies Beauty Pageant 👑

  Our Best Buddies at Fannin County High School collaborated with their school to organize a cool beauty pageant! They charged a small fee, their male buddies escorted participants, and it was a great turnout. We have connections to two beauty queens (Miss Georgia South USA Irielle Duncan and Miss Georgia Teen, Carrington Manous) who would love to host/participate. Just let us know!
  

• Merchandise (T-shirts, Hats, Hoodies, Bracelets) 👕
  Use the Best Buddies logo from Best Buddies University to design and sell custom club merchandise, such as T-shirts, hoodies, or hats featuring the Best Buddies logo with your school’s name. These items promote school spirit while raising funds. Use the talents of your community and have students to create the design! Connect with your local vendor to see if they can give you a discount, edit one of the donation letter from Best Buddies University, and you now have cool swag to sell!
  

• Candy Grams 🍫/Flower Grams 🌼(for holidays)
  Because who doesn’t like a small holiday treat?! Sell small candies or treats with customizable messages that students can buy and send to friends or teachers. This works well for holidays like Valentine’s Day, Halloween, or during exams. Sell flowers like carnations or roses for special events (like Valentine’s Day or graduation). Students can pre-order and customize them with notes to be delivered to friends, teachers, or family members.
  

• Teacher/Principal Pie-in-the-Face 🥧
  Students donate for a chance to “pie” a teacher or principal. This can be set up as a raffle or auction event to give students the opportunity to select the teacher they'd like to see pied. Use shaving cream to prevent the smell of spoiled milk, and you have yourself an event!
  

• Spaghetti Dinner 🍝
  Host a family-friendly spaghetti dinner. Sell tickets in advance and add a few extras like raffles or a silent auction to increase funds. Our buds at Tattnall County High School crushed their spaghetti fundraiser last year!

Best Buddies in Georgia Chapter Check-In Forms

A BIG Best Buddies thank you to the following schools that completed their chapter check-in forms for October! It was fun reading your responses and learning more about you. These forms are a huge help with us providing you with support, and it is greatly appreciated!

To further increase the fun, we are re-introducing random raffles for digital gift cards for completing the chapter check-in forms! This month’s winner in bold is…

• Cedar Grove High School

• Georgia College and State University

• King Middle School

• Decatur High School

• Rosa Taylor Elementary School

• Johns Creek High School

• Riverwood International Charter School

• UGA

• Denmark High School

• Piney Grove Middle School

• North Atlanta High School

• Beacon Hill Middle School

• Heritage Elementary School

• Metter Elementary School

• Dade County High School

• Springfield Elementary School - Michele Way

• Tattnall County High School

• Rincon Elementary

• Campbell High School

• Collins Hill High School

• Emory University

• Islands High School

• Marlow Elementary School

• Ebenezer Elementary School

• Pope High School

• Heards Ferry Elementary School

Thank you for submitting your chapter check-in forms, and congratulations to Michele Way from Springfield Elementary! Who will be our November winner? Submit your form for a chance to win, and keep an eye on the next Buddy Beat to find out!

2024 Champion of the Year Recap!

This year’s Champion of the Year event was a moment to remember! On Friday, November 1st, several dedicated individuals came together to raise essential funds to support and expand Best Buddies programs in our community. A huge Best Buddies shoutout to our Citizens Member and Georgia Tech alumna, Martha Haythorn, along with her Campaign Manager, Hannah Jenkins, for being named this year’s Champions of the Year!

We’d also like to recognize Mrs. Ivory Brown, Faculty Advisor of Ebenezer Middle School and Olivia Lott, an alumna from our Best Buddies at Effingham County High School, for their incredible support and fundraising efforts. Thank you, Mrs. Brown and Olivia —we’re so grateful for all you do!

Upcoming Events

November is the BB360 Deadline Month!

As you recruit new members to your Best Buddies chapter, host match party reveals, or a holiday gathering, don’t forget to make Best Buddies fun!

We have many resources on Best Buddies University and our Best Buddies in Georgia Chapter Toolkit, including match party ideas, recruitment items, training materials from LTD, and other helpful documents. For more questions, please feel free to contact me at [email protected]. Thank you!

Buddy Spotlight - Meet Ayden and Kyla from Dade County High School!

We are elated to showcase this month’s Buddy Spotlight, Ayden Miles and Kyla McMahan from Dade County High School! Ayden and Kyla were submitted by Dade County’s Chapter President, Jerzee Crabtree. Please see the quote below to learn more about this awesome friendship!

We are so happy to have Ayden, Kyla, Jerzee, and our entire Dade County High School chapter with us at Best Buddies in Georgia! Thank you for sharing this spotlight and we appreciate all your hard work in creating an inclusive environment for your school community.

To submit a Buddy Spotlight for a member in your chapter, please send a message to Doug Peters, Deputy Director of Programs, at [email protected]. Thank you!