Best Buddies Minnesota

We are proud to announce Sara Messerli, MA, SHRM-CP as our 2023 Grand Champion!!! She and her Mission Partner, Maggie Erickson raised over $44,000 to support Best Buddies programs throughout the state of Minnesota. Sara Messerli is the Director of Human Resources Doran Companies and a dedicated advocate for inclusivity in educational and workplace environments. Her passion for this cause is deeply rooted in her personal journey as a mother to her beloved son, Colin, who had intellectual and developmental disabilities. Sadly, Colin passed away earlier this year, and Sara has channeled her grief into a powerful commitment to creating a lasting legacy for her son through her active involvement with Best Buddies. “Throughout my entire campaign, I was incredibly touched by the continuous outpouring of love and support from every corner of my personal and professional networks—whether expressed through generous monetary contributions or heartfelt kindness. This experience has left me genuinely humbled, emphasizing the transformative power of connection and compassion. I am filled with gratitude and convinced that Colin is looking down on me with pride. The cherry on top of this journey was the instant bond I formed with my mission partner, Maggie. I look forward to having her as a permanent and cherished part of my life as we both keep pushing for a world where everyone belongs!” 💜 Read more about Sara and her campaign: https://lnkd.in/gGQEedYw Best Buddies Minnesota is incredibly grateful to all the 2023 Champions and Mission Partners for their phenomenal efforts to raise funds and awareness for the Best Buddies mission of inclusion. Collectively this year’s group raised $230,000! 🌟🌟🌟 #BestBuddiesChampion #ChampionOfTheYear #LightsCameraInclusion #BBMN

Lights, Camera, Inclusion! 🎥🌟❤️ We are absolutely thrilled to announce that our 2023 Champion of the Year gala last Friday raised a record-breaking $325,000 for our Best Buddies programs across Minnesota!!! We are extremely humbled by the support of the 450 people in the room, and so many from home, who helped us exceed our goal by $55,000. It’s truly unbelievable what a room full of people who see the value of inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities can accomplish together. 🏆 Sara Messerli, MA, SHRM-CP and her Mission Partner, Maggie Erickson, raised more than $44,000 to become our 2023 Champions of the Year! Buddy pair Camille Nelson & Rebecca Lindholm were the runner-ups within just hundreds of dollars, and our 10 Champions collectively raised $230,000 of the grand total! Thank you to all of the incredible people who took our event to the next level this year - our champions, mission partners, sponsors, donors, supporters, event committee, emcee A.J. Hilton, volunteers, vendors and more. We can’t wait to continue shining a spotlight on inclusion with you all!

Let us introduce you to our 2023 Champion Candidates! Tomorrow, we’ll celebrate the incredible strides they’ve made raising funds and awareness for Best Buddies Minnesota and we’ll name our 2023 Grand Champion. 🌟 CHAMPION SPOTLIGHT 🌟 Tasha Feigh Tasha is running for Champion of the Year to spread awareness and inclusion for people with IDD, but also for people with invisible disabilities. One of her favorite sayings is "she believed she could and did" and that is true for Tasha. When she joined Best Buddies, she had no idea what to expect. Since joining, she has met amazing people and shared her knowledge and passion for advocacy with so many people. Tasha became a State Ambassador in 2021 and attended the annual Best Buddies Leadership Conference at Indiana University in 2023. Tasha was also the first BBMN board member with an invisible disability. Through Best Buddies, she feels like she finally has a voice for herself and people want to know what she has to say and they don't just listen to her because they have to, but because they want to. Tasha believes that everyone's voice deserves to be heard and everyone deserves a friend. She wants to thank her buddy and mission partner, Megan Melroe, the entire BBMN staff, and her mom, Mary Feigh, for all of their support throughout her campaign. Tasha is joined by her Mission Partner and buddy, Megan Melroe. 🏆🏆🏆 #LightsCameraInclusion #BestBuddies #ChampionOfTheYear #BBMN #ChampionsForChange #InclusionLivesHere

Let us introduce you to our 2023 Champion Candidates! Tomorrow, we’ll celebrate the incredible strides they’ve made raising funds and awareness for Best Buddies Minnesota and we’ll name our 2023 Grand Champion. 🌟 CHAMPION SPOTLIGHT 🌟 Sara Messerli, MA, SHRM-CP Sara is the Director of Human Resources Doran Companies and a dedicated advocate for inclusivity in educational and workplace environments. Her passion for this cause is deeply rooted in her personal journey as a mother to her beloved son, Colin, who had intellectual and developmental disabilities. Sadly, Colin passed away earlier this year, and Sara has channeled her grief into a powerful commitment to creating a lasting legacy for her son through her active involvement with Best Buddies. In the face of personal tragedy, Sara has discovered a profound sense of purpose. This is evident through her acceptance of this nomination and her recent appointment to the Best Buddies MN Advisory Board. With unwavering determination, she aims to provide meaningful opportunities for individuals like Colin, who live with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Her ultimate goal is to empower them to lead enriching lives filled with genuine connections and foster a more inclusive society. Sara is joined by her Mission Partner, Maggie Erickson. 🏆🏆🏆 #LightsCameraInclusion #BestBuddies #ChampionOfTheYear #BBMN #ChampionsForChange #InclusionLivesHere

Let us introduce you to our 2023 Champion Candidates! Tomorrow, we’ll celebrate the incredible strides they’ve made raising funds and awareness for Best Buddies Minnesota and we’ll name our 2023 Grand Champion. 🌟 CHAMPION SPOTLIGHT 🌟 Missy Ahrens, ALMI, AALU Missy is a Life Underwriting Analyst for Federated Insurance by day and the rest of the time she is a mom to her 3 kids. Since the birth of her daughter Miley almost 16 years ago she has been thrown into the world of advocacy. She is an introvert at heart but gets strength to step outside her comfort zone when it comes to making the world better for Miley. She made a promise long ago that as long as Miley was her heart, she could and would be her voice. She has worked as the co-chair for the We All Play initiative that brought an inclusive playground and Miracle field to Owatonna. She attended her first Best Buddies Gala last year after learning a chapter had recently started at her daughter's school and fell in love with the mission. She discovered that many people outside of the Twin Cities area have not heard of the Best Buddies organization so she is hoping to help grow the program to greater Minnesota as she sees the many benefits that it has brought to Miley in just the short time she's been involved. Missy is joined by her Mission Partner and inspiration, Miley Ahrens. 🏆🏆🏆 #LightsCameraInclusion #BestBuddies #ChampionOfTheYear #BBMN #ChampionsForChange #InclusionLivesHere

Let us introduce you to our 2023 Champion Candidates! Tomorrow, we’ll celebrate the incredible strides they’ve made raising funds and awareness for Best Buddies Minnesota and we’ll name our 2023 Grand Champion. 🌟 CHAMPION SPOTLIGHT 🌟 Jill Hershey Jill has been involved with Best Buddies since 2019 when she was invited by her Mission Partner Mikalya Holmgren to a Best Buddies event with her daughter Olivia. Mikayla and Olivia met at the Inspiration Performing Arts Dance Studio in Mahtomedi. Jill quickly fell in love with the Best Buddies mission. She has been on the Best Buddies Friendship Walk committee in 2021 and 2022, and Mikalya's Dreaming Big Without Limits Fashion Show Committee this year in Stillwater. Jill has spent the past 20+ years in the Software industry and currently is a Regional Vice President at Salesforce where she leads a team in the Communications, Media and Technology area. She is also a speaker and member of the Women's Business Collaborative that supports equal position, pay and power for all business women. She lives in Mahtomedi with her husband, their dog and 5 kids. Jill enjoys traveling, boating, paddle boarding and watching Chicago Bears and low Hawkeyes football. She is so grateful for the opportunity she's had to support Best Buddies and is ecstatic about her nomination for Champion of the Year! Jill is joined by her Mission Partner, Mikayla Holmgren. 🏆🏆🏆 #LightsCameraInclusion #BestBuddies #ChampionOfTheYear #BBMN #ChampionsForChange #InclusionLivesHere

Let us introduce you to our 2023 Champion Candidates! On Friday, we’ll celebrate the incredible strides they’ve made raising funds and awareness for Best Buddies Minnesota and we’ll name our 2023 Grand Champion. 🌟 CHAMPION SPOTLIGHT 🌟 Jason Trucano Jason Trucano is the Co-Founder of Efformance, a software company developing tools for the property management sector. He has been married to his wife Tatjana for 23 years and they have two daughters. They reside in Excelsior and when not at home can be found on sidelines around the country watching their daughters play soccer. This is Jason's first year of being involved with Best Buddies and he could not be more excited. He learned of Best Buddies while talking with his daughters about a "cool discussion they had in class about inclusion" and when his good friend (Advisory Board member Jason Hagman) nominated him to be a "Champion" he could not say no. Jason is thankful to be matched with the sports loving, supremely talented craftsman Josh Altman as his Mission Partner. 🏆🏆🏆 #LightsCameraInclusion #BestBuddies #ChampionOfTheYear #BBMN #ChampionsForChange #InclusionLivesHere

Let us introduce you to our 2023 Champion Candidates! On Friday, we’ll celebrate the incredible strides they’ve made raising funds and awareness for Best Buddies Minnesota and we’ll name our 2023 Grand Champion. 🌟 CHAMPION SPOTLIGHT 🌟 Hannah Van Nest Hannah Van Nest has made the Twin Cities her home for the past 10 years after graduating from Penn State in 2013. Originally hailing from Chicago, she now lives in Minneapolis, is a Marketing Manager at UnitedHealthcare and has been coaching fitness classes at Alchemy 365 and Sweat with Jess for over 6 years. When she's not working, Hannah loves to spend time with family/friends, go hiking, try new restaurants, workout and read. She also is obsessed with her dog, Olive. Hannah has lived by the belief that everybody deserves to be loved, treated with kindness and respect, and have the same opportunities as the next person. She is honored to be a 2023 Champion candidate for Best Buddies Minnesota and looks forward to continuing her advocacy for inclusion throughout the Twin Cities community. Hannah is joined by her Mission Partner, Allie Henley. 🏆🏆🏆 #LightsCameraInclusion #BestBuddies #ChampionOfTheYear #BBMN #ChampionsForChange #InclusionLivesHere

Let us introduce you to our 2023 Champion Candidates! On Friday, we’ll celebrate the incredible strides they’ve made raising funds and awareness for Best Buddies Minnesota and we’ll name our 2023 Grand Champion. 🌟 CHAMPION SPOTLIGHT 🌟 Camille Nelson Camille is a local celebrity in her community thanks to her job as Front End Support at her inclusive employer, @kowalskis_markets. When she's not chatting with her customers, you can find Camille volunteering with the @excelsiorfiredistrict, photographing @sominnesota events or enjoying one of her many hobbies like mountain biking, walking her two dogs, rock-climbing or wake surfing. Camille has been involved with Best Buddies since 2018 when her family helped open the Best Buddies Minnesota state office with their volunteer efforts. She is part of the Best Buddies Citizens program and has attended Best Buddies Leadership Conference in Indiana. Camille's own journey navigating friendships in high school and finding an inclusive workplace that supports her strengths motivates her to spread awareness about Best Buddies. Camille is joined by her Mission Partner, and buddy, Becky Lindholm. 🏆🏆🏆 #LightsCameraInclusion #BestBuddies #ChampionOfTheYear #BBMN #ChampionsForChange #InclusionLivesHere

Let us introduce you to our 2023 Champion Candidates! On Friday, we’ll celebrate the incredible strides they’ve made raising funds and awareness for Best Buddies Minnesota and we’ll name our 2023 Grand Champion. 🌟 CHAMPION SPOTLIGHT 🌟 Brock Stepan Brock got involved in Best Buddies about two years ago through his better half, Dr. Courtney Burnett. He tagged along with Courtney and her buddy to some events and was captivated by the inclusive energy of all involved. A few months later he got paired with his own buddy and has enjoyed normalizing our differences through all of our shared humanity. The unique perspective of others is a blessing that only betters our understanding and appreciation of this life. When not crunching numbers in spreadsheets for work (or fun), you can find Brock running another mile or two of the thousands he's already run around the home he shares with his soul-mate and inspiration, Dr. Courtney Burnett (a Champion last year) and their two dogs: Muppet and Ridley. As a washed-up competitive runner he finds other kicks in racing himself and friends around karting and car race-tracks. He's a sucker for a proper sports car just like his Mission Partner, Justin. His favorite way to unwind is to listen and share music either as a 20-year veteran DJ or hosting hi-fi listening events. Brock is joined by his Mission Partner, Justin Evilsizer. 🏆🏆🏆 #LightsCameraInclusion #BestBuddies #ChampionOfTheYear #BBMN #ChampionsForChange #InclusionLivesHere