Thankful for YOU 🦃🍂

Dear Best Buddies in Georgia Schools Crew,

We did it, great people! 🎉 The BB360 deadline has passed. In the season of thanks, I want to take a moment to say thank you all for helping us reach this deadline.

Because of your leadership, dedication, and follow-through, Georgia once again showed up and showed out. From Friendship Matches to chapter meetings, events, and leadership roles; every click you made in BB360 brought us one step closer to a more inclusive and connected school year. You are not only building programs; you are building community.

And now for a little celebration…

💰 Gift Card Winners!
Your hustle didn’t go unnoticed! Congratulations to our BB360 raffle winners:
🎉 Rincon Elementary – $25 Gift Card
🎉 Chamblee Charter High School – $25 Gift Card
🎉 Marietta High School – $50 Gift Card
🎉 Howard Middle School – $50 Gift Card

Your entries were on time, complete, and full of spirit. Way to go!

🎉 Who's Coming to BBGA and Cedar Grove High School’s Buddy/Sneaker Ball 2026?

We’re thrilled to announce Buddy Ball 2026, hosted by the incredible students and staff at Cedar Grove High School! 🪩✨

🗓 Date: Saturday, March 21, 2026
🕕 Time: 6:00 p.m.
📍 Location: Cedar Grove High School

This will be a joyful night of dancing, friendship, and celebration, and we want your chapter to be a part of it!

🎊 NEW TRADITION ALERT!
We’re launching Buddy Ball as an annual statewide celebration, and each year, we’ll partner with a different Best Buddies school to serve as host. Let’s kick off this tradition in style together!

To help us plan for food, decorations, accessibility needs, and party favors, we need a headcount.

📧 Please complete this form if your chapter plans to attend.

Get ready to dance the night away and make this a night to remember! 🕺💃🪩

💡Friendly Reminder: Let’s Wrap Up BB360 Submissions Together!

October may have been the official BB360 deadline, but if you're still finalizing your chapter info, you're not alone! This is a gentle reminder to enter all remaining BB360 information as soon as possible so we can keep our chapters in good standing and shift our focus back to what really matters: friendship, inclusion, and fun! 

Here’s what we’re still looking for:

✅ Chapter Meetings — At least 5 total: exec board and general
🎉 Events — At least 4 (including your match party for middle/high/college)
👥 Friendship Matches — Match students with and without IDD where applicable
📝 Member Applications — www.bestbuddies.org/join
🧑‍🏫 Faculty & Student Leader Apps — www.bestbuddies.org/lead

🧭 Leadership Tip: Each chapter needs both a Chapter President and a Buddy Director (a student with IDD when possible) for full compliance.

Even if some info is still tentative, that’s totally okay. Getting it into the system helps us prepare for a smooth and successful year.

📅 Need help?
Schedule a time with me here: www.calendly.com/bbgaprograms

Thanks again for all you’re doing. I’m just a text, call, or quick Zoom away if you need help. Grateful to be in this work with you!

🗓️ November is for Planning, Bonding & Buddy Magic!

Let’s keep the momentum going this month with purposeful planning, meaningful friendships, and a little seasonal magic! ✨

🧩 Build the Foundation
✅ Plan and submit all 2025–2026 events and meetings in BB360
✅ Make your friendship matches (Middle, High School & College chapters)
✅ Host your friendship match party! 🍂🎉 
✅ Meet with your officer team

Reminder: Elementary & Promoter chapters are not required to do match parties or friendship matches.

🤝 Friendship Tip of the Month:
Bond Beyond the Party: Encourage your buddy pairs to start planning simple hangouts, like:

• Meeting for lunch 🍱

• Making a fall-themed craft 🍁

• Exchanging encouraging notes 💌

Even the smallest traditions can make the biggest difference. Check out October’s newsletter for ideas!

📥 Stay Connected with BBGA
✅ Fill out your Monthly Chapter Check-In
🔗 Click here to check in
✅ Text, email, or schedule time with me via Calendly

You are never alone in this work. Let’s keep building together, one event, one friendship, and one powerful connection at a time.
🔗 Check-In Form 
🔗2025-2026 Best Buddies in Georgia Calendar
🔗Best Buddies University
🔗BBGA Toolkit

💫 Best Buddies, Best Vibes: Creating Joy Year-Round

As the year rolls on, your chapter might be hitting its stride, or hitting a slump. Either way, now is the perfect time to build momentum, boost morale, and energize your officer team and members through intentional chapter culture-building!
Try these low-lift but high-impact ways to deepen engagement and leadership in your school community:

🧠 Empower Student Voice

• Rotating Meeting Hosts: Let different officers or buddy pairs lead sections of meetings (icebreakers, announcements, games, etc.).

• Suggestion Box: Place a real or virtual suggestion box for buddies to submit ideas for events or chapter improvements.

• Chapter Spotify Playlist: Let members submit favorite songs to play at events or during work sessions! Check out our Chapter President Playlist on Spotify for inspiration!

🥳 Make Meetings Special

• Themed Meetings: Try “Throwback Thursday,” “Crazy Hat Day,” or “Thankful for Our Buddies” themed gatherings. Make it a dance party, combine it with an event, the world is your oyster!

• Chapter Traditions: Create simple rituals like a “Buddy of the Week” spotlight, joke of the day, or gratitude circle.

• Meme Wall: Create a bulletin board or digital space where students can share funny or kind memes related to friendship.

📸 Build Belonging with Visuals

• Buddy Bulletin Board: Feature match photos, quotes, or shout-outs in a visible school space.

• Photo Booth Corner: Set up a decorated wall with props at events or meetings for fun, shareable pics.

• Chapter Yearbook Page: Start collecting photos now to build a scrapbook or yearbook page later!

• Start a Social Media Page: Feature members, event photos, and do birthday shoutouts on Instagram, TikTok, etc. 

🧩 Foster Ownership & Leadership

• Officer Lunches: Have monthly check-ins over lunch or treats to keep your leadership team connected and appreciated.

• Task Teams: Break big projects into mini teams or committees: decorations, outreach, music, snacks, etc. Everyone has a role!

• Monthly Goals: Set chapter goals and celebrate progress: 10 new members, 3 buddy pairs, 1 act of kindness, etc. Remember to upload them on BB360!

💡Buddy Spotlight: Callie West, Chattahoochee High School

Best Buddies at Chattahoochee High School is bursting with inclusion, and Callie West is right in the heart of it!

📸 This month, Callie shared a few of her favorite memories so far:

She also highlighted a hilarious chapter moment:

But what meant the most to her?

Callie’s joy is contagious, and her appreciation for friendship and fun perfectly captures the Best Buddies spirit. We’re so glad she’s part of the movement and part of the Hooch legacy of inclusion! We appreciate Team Chattahoochee for being a part of our community and sharing this update.

🏆Champion of the Year is Happening Tomorrow!

One of the most inspiring nights of the year is happening tomorrow: Friday, November 7, 2025 at 6:30 p.m., held at the iconic Buckhead Theatre (3110Roswell Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30305).

🌟 What It’s All About
The Champion of the Year Gala unites and honors our standout leaders in the name of inclusion. These Champions commit to raising awareness and funds for Best Buddies, helping us to unlock meaningful friendships, leadership opportunities, and inclusive environments for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

📆 Event Schedule

• 6:30 p.m. – Doors open & networking

• 7:30 p.m. – Dinner begins, program kicks off

• 10:30 p.m. – Event concludes

🗣 2025 Host: Jonathan Martin

We’re honored to have Emmy‑nominated news anchor Jonathan Martin emceeing for us. A proud Atlanta native, his experience and passion for community engagement bring energy and authenticity to the evening.

✅ Why It Matters
Funds and support raised at this event help Best Buddies programs in Georgia grow stronger, enabling more friendships, job connections, and inclusive communities for people with IDD.

🎉 Meet the 2025 Champion Candidates

These incredible leaders have dedicated the past few months to raising funds and awareness for Best Buddies:

• Ryan Harchar & Cardonia Jean

• Erica Raasch & Derrick Avery

• Todd Croom & Sam Hicks

• Ahmiyah Jackson

• Debra Long

• Cameron Lumpkin

• Chris & Eleanor Rogers

Each of these Champions is making a powerful impact by sharing their time, talents, and networks to support friendship, leadership, and inclusion across Georgia.

Stay tuned for December’s newsletter to see who takes home the crown as this year’s Champion of the Year!

🎂 November Birthday Shoutouts 🎉

Let’s celebrate the amazing members of our BBGA family this month!

🎈 November 2 – Hannah Ward (South Effingham Middle School)
🎈 November 3 – Melissa Smith (Springfield Elementary School)
🎈 November 3 – Rose Jones (King Middle School)
🎈 November 5 – Cathy Skidmore-Hess (Georgia Southern University)
🎈 November 9 – Hannah Jordan (Howard Middle School)
🎈 November 10 – Amy Williams (University of North Georgia – Dahlonega)
🎈 November 12 – Joseph Cain (Dade County High School)
🎈 November 15 – Callaghan Finnegan (The Paideia School)
🎈 November 16 – Melissa McArthur (Talley Street Upper Elementary School)
🎈 November 17 – Stephen Wills (Georgia College & State University)
🎈 November 18 – Rafael Tolentino (Camden County High School)
🎈 November 20 – Tami Wallace (Metter Elementary School)

Upcoming Events