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

• Happy fall, ya’ll 🍂! We hope that this message finds you well, safe, and in great spirits. We appreciate all you do, and hope that you are doing well right now.

• In response to Hurricane Helena, we're launching the "BBGA Pen Pals 💌" program to connect schools through cards, care packages, and support. New schools can also be paired with veteran schools for guidance. If you'd like to give, receive, or offer support, email us at [email protected] with the subject line “Helena” for hurricane aid or “New School” for school support. Thank you for your kindness!

• October is match party season 🎉! For the newest members of our community, match parties are a fun way for students to learn about their one-to-one friendship matches for this year. Match parties are not required for elementary and promoter chapters, as they do not have to facilitate friendship matches.  

  • Pro-Tip: Sprinkle some fun and make the reveal exciting and creative 🎊! You can match students by candy, puzzle pieces, getting to know you games, etc. Resources can be found by visiting our toolkit here or Best Buddies University. 

  • Complete the friendship match process on BB360 using the matching tool.

  • Be mindful of the November 1st BB360 deadline to update all meetings, matches, member rosters, and events! (Match parties are N/A for Elementary and Promoter Chapters) Remember that if your chapter’s information is NOT in BB360, it didn’t happen! 🙂 

• Save the Date: Back to Best Buddies is happening on Saturday, February 8th from 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. at the Microsoft Office, 200 17th St NW, Atlanta, GA 30363. Please register here!

• Want to be involved in this year’s Champion of the Year 🥇? We love to have you! Please email our Deputy Director of Development, Catherine Justice at [email protected] if you want to be involved with our Champion of the Year.

• Please remember to complete your chapter check-in form every month! This form should be completed once a month per school and should take at most 5 minutes to complete.

• 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 Blandford Elementary School!

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

Hello October!

Dear Faculty Advisors and Student Leaders,

Happy October 🍂! We hope your semester is going great so far! As we settle into fall, we just wanted to send a friendly reminder of a few key expectations to help make this year amazing for your Best Buddies chapter.

Here’s a quick recap of what to keep in mind:

• 🙂 Host at least five meetings (including an initial recruitment meeting) and four fun social events over the school year. That’s a total of at least nine program dates to plan and enjoy!

• 💾 Don’t forget to update BB360 with all your meetings, events, attendance, and member rosters by Friday, November 1st. Need a hand? Check out the BB360 Instructional Video or the BB360 User Guide. You can also schedule a conversation with me to receive help!

• 🎖 Make sure you’ve filled all your chapter’s leadership roles by completing registration at the Best Buddies Leadership website at www.bestbudies.org/lead. (Elementary chapters only need Faculty Advisors!)

• 🌎 Attend leadership training sessions (virtual, in-person, or recorded) —Leadership Training Day and Back to Best Buddies will get you ready for success!

• 🎈 Keep recruiting! Make sure your members complete their registration at www.bestbuddies.org/join.

• 💵 Fundraise and secure support for your chapter activities.

• 🎉 Show your support at Best Buddies Georgia events like the Friendship Walks and Champion of the Year.

• 💪 We’re here to help! Stay connected with us through the Chapter Check-In Form.

Thank you for all the energy and passion you put into creating a fun and inclusive year! We’re excited to see what your chapter will accomplish. If you need any support, feel free to reach out anytime. Also, please be on the lookout for me with a few communication updates.

Wishing you all a wonderful October!

Chapter Check-In Forms

A BIG Best Buddies thank you to the schools that completed their chapter check-in forms!

This form was created to ensure that your chapter receives individualized support. This form should be completed once a month per school and should take at most 5 minutes to complete. Please take a moment to complete this form every month. Thank you!

Upcoming Events

2024-2025 Best Buddies School Calendar

October is Match Party, Recruitment, and Event Planning Season!

As you recruit new members to your Best Buddies chapter and match party reveals, don’t forget to make Best Buddies fun!

We have many resources on Best Buddies University and our Best Buddies in Georgia 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!

2024 Champion of the Year

We're excited to share that it's time once again for our Champion of the Year event, and we could really use your help 🤩!

We are thrilled to host this year’s 2024 Champion of the Year Gala, happening on Friday, November 1st at 6:00 p.m. at the beautiful Biltmore Ballroom (817 W Peachtree St NW, #208, Atlanta, GA 30308). This is our annual opportunity to come together and celebrate the incredible leaders of inclusion in our community through a friendly fundraising competition. We cannot do this event without YOU, and we hope you can contribute to this fun event!

Our goal is for our guests to experience as many "mission moments" as possible, as we have so many unique schools within our community. With this in mind, we thought it would be wonderful if they could see the amazing creativity from our chapters. With this in mind, we would like our chapters to showcase any art forms that reflect what friendship or Best Buddies means to your chapter—whether it's photography, painting, collage, or anything else that inspires you! These pieces will be featured in our silent auction, with the names of the artists and their schools proudly displayed. Guests will have the opportunity to bid on these works, supporting BBGA programs in the process. Additionally, if you and your buddy have any musical talents you'd like to share—whether it’s singing, dancing, or any other performance art—we’d be absolutely thrilled to have you on stage!

If you're interested in participating in this year’s Champion of the Year, please let us know. Also, feel free to check out our website at https://www.bestbuddieschampion.org/georgia/.

If you are interested in participating, please feel free to reach out to Doug Peters, Deputy Director of Programs, at [email protected]. For more questions about the event itself, please reach out to Cat Justice, Deputy Director of Development, at [email protected]. We are so grateful for everything you do!

Check Out Our 2024 Champion of the Year Candidates and Schedule!