Community Corner

Twin Cities Team Partakes In Best Buddies Fundraising Competition

Best Buddies is a non-profit that aims to end the exclusion of people who have intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Martin Odian and Jennifer Dean will have until Nov. 19 to fundraise.
Martin Odian and Jennifer Dean will have until Nov. 19 to fundraise. (Courtesy of Martin Odian)

TWIN CITIES, MN — Two Twin Cities residents are partaking as a team in the 2021 Best Buddies Minnesota Champion of the Year Gala.

Martin Odian, of Richfield, and Jennifer Dean, of Apple Valley will have until Nov. 19 to fundraise, they shared in a Best Buddies news release.

Whichever team can fundraise the most money for Best Buddies will be crowned Champions of the Year 2021, Best Buddies said.

Find out what's happening in Apple Valley-Rosemountwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Best Buddies is a non-profit that aims to end the exclusion of people who have intellectual and developmental disabilities, according to the news release. The non-profit said that it focuses on four pillars: friendship, jobs, leadership development and inclusive living.

The money raised for Best Buddies will help the non-profit expand friendship programs, leadership trainings and employment services in Minnesota, the news release said.

Find out what's happening in Apple Valley-Rosemountwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"Best Buddies to me means allowing people with disabilities to get out into the community to enjoy events and go to work like everybody else," Odian said. "It allows people with disabilities to have more friends and the chance to find a job and to gain leadership skills to utilize in those jobs. They may be able to move up into better jobs using their leadership skills. I would love to see Best Buddies all over the state of Minnesota and that anyone who has a disability can be served by them. This makes Best Buddies Minnesota an extremely critical and important program to many, including myself and my fiancé."

More information about Odian and Dean's fundraiser can be found here.


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