The Best Buddies Friendship Walk is the leading walk in the country supporting inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (also known as IDD).

Join 40,000 walkers across the country to support the Best Buddies programs in your schools, workplaces and communities.  You’ll be making the world more welcoming to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities – one friendship, one job, and one life-changing connection at a time.

In 2020, the Friendship Walk pivoted to a virtual model due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We were amazed by the willingness of our friends and supporters to pivot along with us, raising over $120,000 across Massachusetts and Rhode Island and proving that inclusion is never canceled.
As we closely monitor the distribution of vaccines and continue to comply with local regulations and mandates, we will be hosting a hybrid event to ensure everyone has a chance to join the fun. We will once again broadcast our event to Facebook Live, and are excited to announce some exciting details for those who prefer an in-person event!

On Saturday, May 15th, we will host a drive-thru Car Cavalcade at MAPFRE Headquarters in Webster, MA, as well as a chance to get your walk shirts and feel the excitement of an in-person event — all from the safety of your own vehicles.
We thank you for your continued support of Best Buddies, and we know that because of supporters like you, we will once again prove that nothing can slow down our mission of friendship and inclusion!

Hybrid Event

What to Expect
In short: A PARTY! We hope you will join us for our first in-person event in over a year as we celebrate friendship & inclusion with hundreds of our favorite friends. This year’s Friendship Walk will be celebrated as a drive-thru event. We are calling it a “Car Cavalcade”, where you will drive through our car parade route and interact with tons of fun stops along the way. At the end we will have a celebration zone where you can safely get out of your car and dance to the tunes of DJ Scotty while enjoying some food and ice cream from New City Microcreamery.

Joining us at this year’s event: our Presenting Sponsor, PLAN or MA & RI, The New England Patriots very own Pat the Patriot, Micro Creamery, Anelise Diamond Merrihew and band, Miss Teen Massachusetts, Miss Teen Rhode Island and more.

For sponsorship opportunities and other event inquiries, please contact:  mikesullivan@bestbuddies.org.