\u201cBest Buddies is a fantastic organization with a great message to spread, and I am so proud to support their work,\u201d said Tom Brady. \u201cI hope my role as Honorary Co-Chair will continue to bring attention to the organization\u2019s mission of friendship and inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities across the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Join Tom Brady and Challenge Yourself to Change Lives at the<\/p>\n
16th Annual Best Buddies Challenge: Hyannis Port<\/p>\n
Boston, May 19, 2015\u2013 Best Buddies International, a nonprofit dedicated to creating opportunities for friendship, employment and leadership training for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), is pleased to announce that the 16th Annual Best Buddies Challenge: Hyannis Port<\/a>, will take place on May 29 – 30. More than 2,000 people are expected to participate in the Challenge \u2013 a charity walk, run and ride to benefit Best Buddies International. Tom Brady, New England Patriots Quarterback and Best Buddies Global Ambassador, will serve as Honorary Co-Chair and lead Team Tom Brady to the finish line. Celebrity Chef Guy Fieri and Congressman Joseph P. Kennedy III will join Brady as the event\u2019s Honorary Co-Chairs. John Hailer, President & CEO of Natixis Global Asset Management for the Americas & Asia, has committed to serve as the Event Chair. During the event, John Hancock will be honored with the organization\u2019s Spirit of Friendship Award.<\/p>\n \u201cBest Buddies is a fantastic organization with a great message to spread, and I am so proud to support their work,\u201d said Tom Brady. \u201cI hope my role as Honorary Co-Chair will continue to bring attention to the organization\u2019s mission of friendship and inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities across the world.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s gratifying to be part of an organization that recognizes the immense potential in people with intellectual and developmental challenges and strives to build a world of inclusion,\u201d said John Hailer, President & CEO of Natixis Global Asset Management for the Americas & Asia. \u201cCivic engagement is everyone\u2019s responsibility, and I look forward to doing my part in this year\u2019s Challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe are delighted to be returning to Massachusetts for our sixteenth Challenge and we are thrilled that Tom Brady, Guy Fieri and Congressman Joseph P. Kennedy, III will join us as Honorary Chairmen of this event,\u201d says Anthony Kennedy Shriver, Founder and Chairman of Best Buddies International. \u201cTheir dedication to the Best Buddies mission of inclusion – along with that of all Challenge participants – has helped bring an even greater awareness to the infinite abilities people with intellectual and developmental disabilities possess.\u201d<\/p>\n Several New England Patriots, past and present, including Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski, Danny Amendola, Tedy Bruschi, Nate Solder, Jerod Mayo, Dan Koppen and Scott Zolak are expected to attend the Tom Brady Football Challenge at Harvard Field; along with Celebrity Chef Guy Fieri.<\/p>\n During halftime, Hublot\u2019s Chief Executive Officer Ricardo Guadalupe and Rick de la Croix, President of Hublot Latin America, will officially launch a new Hublot Limited Edition Best Buddies Cycling timepiece.<\/p>\n \u201cHublot is honored to partner with Best Buddies, and to support this great cause that makes a significant impact in serving those with intellectual and developmental disabilities around the world. Similar to the Shriver family, Hublot has a long history of serving our local communities,” said Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO of Hublot. “We are proud to join Anthony Shriver, Tom Brady, and cyclists George Hincapie and Christian Vande Velde to kick off the Best Buddies Challenge, and to announce the launch of our Classic Fusion \u2018Best Buddies\u2019 timepiece, for which Hublot will donate a portion of the proceeds from all sales to Best Buddies.\u201d<\/p>\n The game will be followed by the Guy Fieri Celebrity Chef Tailgate Party, hosted by Guy Fieri, a best-selling cookbook author and host of several Food Network shows, including \u201cDiners, Drive-ins and Dives\u201d and \u201cGuy\u2019s Big Bite.\u201d Steve DiFillippo of Davio\u2019s Northern Italian Steakhouse and eleven of Boston\u2019s top chefs, will be partnered with Buddy Sous chefs to prepare this fabulous feast.<\/p>\n During Friday night\u2019s festivities, Best Buddies will present John Hancock with Best Buddies International\u2019s esteemed \u201cSpirit of Friendship Award\u201d for the company\u2019s outstanding generosity and visionary leadership in employing individuals with intellectual disabilities and contributing to a more inclusive work force. Since 2009, Team John Hancock\u2019s 439 Challenge cyclists have raised a total of $823,188 to support Best Buddies\u2019 mission of friendship and inclusion for individuals with intellectual disabilities.<\/p>\n On Saturday, May 30, hundreds of cyclists, including professional cyclists George Hincapie, Christian Vande Velde, Ted King and Cameron Wurf \u2013 will take the starting line at Boston\u2019s John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum for the picturesque 100-mile ride portion of the Best Buddies Challenge: Hyannis Port, from Boston to Hyannis Port. The Challenge is open to participants of all ages and abilities and is designed to showcase the Best Buddies mission in action. It also features alternative 50 and 20-mile cycling routes, as well as the Carl Lewis Challenge, a 5K run or walk.<\/p>\n Several other celebrities, professional athletes and special guests are also expected to participate in the Challenge, including: \u201cGlee\u2019s\u201d Lauren Potter, who is also a Best Buddies Board Member, Actress Maria Menounos, Actor Michael Chiklis, American Horror Story Actress and Best Buddies supporter Jamie Brewer and Comedian and Actor Dane Cook; Miss USA 2014 Nia Sanchez; Miss Teen USA 2014 K. Lee Graham; Miss Massachusetts USA 2015 Polikseni Manxhari; Miss Massachusetts Teen USA 2015 Sophie Baird; Miss Maine USA 2015 Heather Elwell; Miss Maine Teen USA 2015 Syler Gaudette; Miss New Hampshire USA 2015 Samantha Poirier; and Miss New Hampshire Teen USA 2015 Eleanor Lathram. Theywill all be invited to compete in the \u201cFriendship Races\u201d on tandem bicycles.<\/p>\n The Challenge will be capped off by a New England-style clambake and private concert by musical group 38 Special which all participants and special guests are invited to attend.<\/p>\n In addition to Brady, Congressman Kennedy and Fieri, Steve Finch, John Hancock;Patrick Flavin, The TJX Companies, Inc.; and Ed Ansin, President, Sunbeam Television, Corp. have committed to serve as Challenge Co-Chairs.<\/p>\n This year\u2019s Challenge sponsors include: Hyannis Port Club Sponsors BNY Mellon, Hublot, Pepsi, Seyfarth Shaw Attorneys LLP, Natixis Global Asset Management, Pepsi-Cola Company, The TJX Companies, Inc and Greenberg Traurig LLP; Cape Club Sponsors CVS Health, John Hancock, NBC\/WHDH and Santander Bank; Craigville Beach Club Sponsors Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Bob\u2019s Discount Furniture, Cooking with Kids Foundation, Crescent Capital Group, Eaton Vance Investment Management, EMC, Energi, FIJI Water, the official water of Best Buddies International, The GEO Group Foundation, Inc, Kobi Karp Architecture and Interior Design, Mark Edward Partners, Market Basket, The Parthenon Group, Pilot Freight Services, Putnam Investments, William Grant & Sons, Ltd., Harpoon Brewery; and Media Sponsors Bicycling Magazine, The Boston Globe, CBS Radio\/98.5 The Sports Hub, Getty Images, the official photography sponsor of Best Buddies International, Boston Common Magazine\/Niche Media, the premier magazine sponsor of Best Buddies International and 90.9 WBUR.<\/p>\n ABOUT BEST BUDDIES INTERNATIONAL:<\/p>\n Best Buddies\u00ae is a nonprofit 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. Founded in 1989 by Anthony K. Shriver, Best Buddies is a vibrant organization that has grown from one original chapter to more than 1,900 middle school, high school, and college chapters worldwide. Today, Best Buddies\u2019 eight formal programs \u2014 Middle Schools, High Schools, Colleges, Citizens, e-Buddies\u00ae , Jobs, Ambassadors, and Promoters \u2014 engage participants in each of the 50 states and in over 50 countries, positively impacting the lives of more than 900,000 people with and without disabilities around the world. In many cases, as a result of their involvement with Best Buddies, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities secure rewarding jobs, live on their own, become inspirational leaders, and make lifelong friendships. For more information, please visit www.bestbuddies.org, facebook.com\/bestbuddies<\/a> or twitter.com\/bestbuddies<\/a>.<\/p>\n Contact Information: Nicole Maddox
\nFor media inquiries (including requests for credentials):<\/p>\n
\n305-374-2233 ext. 343
\nNicoleMaddox@bestbuddies.org<\/a><\/p>\n