{"id":186749,"date":"2025-02-26T08:52:25","date_gmt":"2025-02-26T13:52:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/?p=186749"},"modified":"2025-02-26T08:52:25","modified_gmt":"2025-02-26T13:52:25","slug":"nathan-dean-named-2024-best-buddies-international-champion-of-the-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/tennessee\/2024-best-buddies-international-champion-of-the-year","title":{"rendered":"Nathan Dean named 2024 Best Buddies International Champion of the Year!"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\">[vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;186750&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; css=&#8221;&#8221;][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;15px&#8221;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]\n<p>The <strong>Best Buddies Nashville Champion of the Year Gala<\/strong> was an incredible success, raising over <strong>$708,000<\/strong>. We are thrilled to announce <strong>Nathan Dean<\/strong> as the <strong>Nashville Grand Champion<\/strong> for this remarkable event. Nathan raised a record-breaking <strong>$369,000<\/strong> for Best Buddies in Tennessee. Not only did Nathan raise the most funds in the state, but he also became the <strong>National Top Champion of the Year<\/strong> for Best Buddies, achieving the highest fundraising total across the entire country.<\/p>\n<p>Nathan Dean is a <strong>true Champion<\/strong>, and his enthusiasm for the cause is nothing short of contagious. He perfectly embodies the mission of Best Buddies and naturally forms connections with those around him. Since reconnecting with the mission in 2022, Nathan has shown unwavering dedication. He eagerly participates in Best Buddies events, joins programs, and works tirelessly to raise awareness for the organization. After joining the <strong>Citizens program<\/strong>, attending <strong>Friendship Walks, Friendship Balls,<\/strong> and <strong>Galas<\/strong>, the Best Buddies team recognized Nathan\u2019s passion and proudly nominated him as a <strong>2024 Champion of the Year<\/strong> candidate.<\/p>\n<p>Nathan embraced this nomination and took it to heart, involving his friends, family, and community in his campaign to raise a historic amount for Best Buddies in Tennessee. His efforts were nothing short of extraordinary. Through his hard work and commitment, Nathan set a new standard for fundraising in the state, and his impact will be felt for years to come.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Best Buddies International<\/strong> is excited to honor Nathan as the <strong>National Top Champion<\/strong> throughout the year, showcasing his incredible dedication to the organization and its mission. The support from Nathan\u2019s entire family and community has been invaluable, and Best Buddies is deeply grateful for it. Thanks to the funds raised, Best Buddies will continue to transform lives and foster a more inclusive Tennessee for everyone.<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;15px&#8221;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nathan Dean raised a record-setting $369,000 for Best Buddies in Tennessee<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2080,"featured_media":186750,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"tn-single-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[497],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-186749","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tennessee-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Nathan Dean named 2024 Best Buddies International Champion of the Year! - Best Buddies International<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/tennessee\/2024-best-buddies-international-champion-of-the-year\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Nathan Dean named 2024 Best Buddies International Champion of the Year! - Best Buddies International\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Nathan Dean raised a record-setting $369,000 for Best Buddies in Tennessee\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/tennessee\/2024-best-buddies-international-champion-of-the-year\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Best Buddies International\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-02-26T13:52:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/2025-BBTN-Nathan-Dean.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"leemosler\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"leemosler\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/tennessee\/2024-best-buddies-international-champion-of-the-year\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/tennessee\/2024-best-buddies-international-champion-of-the-year\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"leemosler\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/#\/schema\/person\/e016e3c8c2cd3b7e04adf72b23efb560\"},\"headline\":\"Nathan Dean named 2024 Best Buddies International Champion of the Year!\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-02-26T13:52:25+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-02-26T13:52:25+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/tennessee\/2024-best-buddies-international-champion-of-the-year\/\"},\"wordCount\":350,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/tennessee\/2024-best-buddies-international-champion-of-the-year\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/2025-BBTN-Nathan-Dean.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"Tennessee News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/tennessee\/2024-best-buddies-international-champion-of-the-year\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/tennessee\/2024-best-buddies-international-champion-of-the-year\/\",\"name\":\"Nathan Dean named 2024 Best Buddies International Champion of the Year! - Best Buddies International\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/tennessee\/2024-best-buddies-international-champion-of-the-year\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/tennessee\/2024-best-buddies-international-champion-of-the-year\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/2025-BBTN-Nathan-Dean.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-02-26T13:52:25+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-02-26T13:52:25+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/tennessee\/2024-best-buddies-international-champion-of-the-year\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/tennessee\/2024-best-buddies-international-champion-of-the-year\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/tennessee\/2024-best-buddies-international-champion-of-the-year\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/2025-BBTN-Nathan-Dean.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/2025-BBTN-Nathan-Dean.webp\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":630,\"caption\":\"Nathan Dean\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/tennessee\/2024-best-buddies-international-champion-of-the-year\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Nathan Dean named 2024 Best Buddies International Champion of the Year!\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/\",\"name\":\"Best Buddies International\",\"description\":\"Best Buddies is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Best Buddies International\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/best-buddies-logo2.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/best-buddies-logo2.png\",\"width\":115,\"height\":113,\"caption\":\"Best Buddies International\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/#\/schema\/person\/e016e3c8c2cd3b7e04adf72b23efb560\",\"name\":\"leemosler\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/author\/leemosler\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Nathan Dean named 2024 Best Buddies International Champion of the Year! - Best Buddies International","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/tennessee\/2024-best-buddies-international-champion-of-the-year\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Nathan Dean named 2024 Best Buddies International Champion of the Year! - Best Buddies International","og_description":"Nathan Dean raised a record-setting $369,000 for Best Buddies in Tennessee","og_url":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/tennessee\/2024-best-buddies-international-champion-of-the-year\/","og_site_name":"Best Buddies International","article_published_time":"2025-02-26T13:52:25+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":630,"url":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/2025-BBTN-Nathan-Dean.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"author":"leemosler","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"leemosler","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/tennessee\/2024-best-buddies-international-champion-of-the-year\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/tennessee\/2024-best-buddies-international-champion-of-the-year\/"},"author":{"name":"leemosler","@id":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/#\/schema\/person\/e016e3c8c2cd3b7e04adf72b23efb560"},"headline":"Nathan Dean named 2024 Best Buddies International Champion of the Year!","datePublished":"2025-02-26T13:52:25+00:00","dateModified":"2025-02-26T13:52:25+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/tennessee\/2024-best-buddies-international-champion-of-the-year\/"},"wordCount":350,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/tennessee\/2024-best-buddies-international-champion-of-the-year\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/2025-BBTN-Nathan-Dean.webp","articleSection":["Tennessee News"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/tennessee\/2024-best-buddies-international-champion-of-the-year\/","url":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/tennessee\/2024-best-buddies-international-champion-of-the-year\/","name":"Nathan Dean named 2024 Best Buddies International Champion of the Year! - Best Buddies International","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/tennessee\/2024-best-buddies-international-champion-of-the-year\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/tennessee\/2024-best-buddies-international-champion-of-the-year\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/2025-BBTN-Nathan-Dean.webp","datePublished":"2025-02-26T13:52:25+00:00","dateModified":"2025-02-26T13:52:25+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/tennessee\/2024-best-buddies-international-champion-of-the-year\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/tennessee\/2024-best-buddies-international-champion-of-the-year\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/tennessee\/2024-best-buddies-international-champion-of-the-year\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/2025-BBTN-Nathan-Dean.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/2025-BBTN-Nathan-Dean.webp","width":1200,"height":630,"caption":"Nathan Dean"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/tennessee\/2024-best-buddies-international-champion-of-the-year\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Nathan Dean named 2024 Best Buddies International Champion of the Year!"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/","name":"Best Buddies International","description":"Best Buddies is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/#organization","name":"Best Buddies International","url":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/best-buddies-logo2.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/best-buddies-logo2.png","width":115,"height":113,"caption":"Best Buddies International"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/#\/schema\/person\/e016e3c8c2cd3b7e04adf72b23efb560","name":"leemosler","url":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/author\/leemosler\/"}]}},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":true,"date":"2028-02-26 00:01:00","action":"delete","newStatus":"draft","terms":[0],"taxonomy":"category"},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/186749","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2080"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=186749"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/186749\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":186751,"href":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/186749\/revisions\/186751"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/186750"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=186749"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=186749"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=186749"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}