Best Buddies Friendship Walk: Kentucky
Let's change the world for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD)
April 20, 2024
9:00 AM | Louisville, KY
Thank You!
The Best Buddies Friendship Walk is the leading event in the country supporting inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
Join 50,000 participants at 70+ Walks across the globe to support the Best Buddies programs in schools, workplaces, and communities. You’ll be making the world more welcoming to people with IDD — one friendship, one job, and one life-changing connection at a time.
Important Event Information:
- Registration: All event attendees MUST register. It is very helpful for our planning team if you register in advance, however, if you are not able to register before the event, please visit the registration tent once you arrive to register onsite.
- T-Shirt Pick-Up: Every registered walker who raised $50 or more, gets a 2024 Friendship Walk t-shirt! You can pick up your t-shirt at the T-Shirt Pick-Up tent on event day.
- Route Details: The Friendship Walk route is a 0.5-mile paved path that is flat.
- Food: A light breakfast will be available starting at 9am (granola bars, fruit, muffins, and more), as well as coffee from Sunergos (both hot and iced) while supplies last. Zaxby’s will be providing chicken sandwiches at 10:30 (limited quantities, first come, first served). Food and drinks will be provided for free to all registered walkers and volunteers.
- Activities: You can enjoy face painting, friendship bracelets, rock decorating, yard games, a bounce house, axe throwing (don’t worry, it’s inflatable!), sidewalk chalk, yard games, music, meeting special mascot guests, a professional face painter (beginning at 10:30), and more at our event!
- Dogs: Dogs are allowed at EP Tom Sawyer State Park but must be leashed and owners must pick up after their dogs.
- Weather: We will walk rain or shine so please come prepared with sunscreen, cold weather clothes, or umbrellas (you never know what kind of weather you’re going to get in the spring in Kentucky). If there is severe weather, the event will be moved to the indoor gymnasium at EP Tom Sawyer State Park, at the same address. We will alert all registered participants if this occurs.
Parking Information:
Enter EP Tom Sawyer State Park from Frey’s Hill Road and park anywhere to the left in the main parking lot. If this parking lot is full, the park staff will be on hand to direct participants to the overflow parking across the street. Parking is free.
Accessibility Statement:
The Friendship Walk route is wheelchair accessible and is paved. Accessible parking is available. The opening and tents are in a grassy field. If you need assistance with a wheelchair and accessing this area, please alert our volunteers and they will assist. Portions of this event will include loud sounds and music. We will have a sensory tent available with noise-canceling headphones. Some foods contain allergens such as gluten so be sure to read package ingredients on the food.
Schedule
Saturday, April 20, 2024
Check-in: 9:00 AM
Opening Ceremonies: 9:45 AM
Walk: 10:00 AM
Celebrate Until: 12:00 PM
Location
E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park
3000 Freys Hill Road
Louisville, KY 40241
Event Contact
Mission Movers – Top Fundraisers
Going the extra mile for Best Buddies.
Supporting Local Programs
Funds raised through the Friendship Walk benefits Best Buddies – the world’s largest organization dedicated to ending the social, physical and economic isolation of the 200 million people and families with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Our programs empower the special abilities of people with IDD by helping them form meaningful friendships with their peers, secure successful jobs, live independently, improve public speaking, self-advocacy and communication skills, and feel valued by society.
The IDD community that Best Buddies serves includes, but is not limited to, people and families with Down Syndrome, Autism, Fragile X, Williams Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, traumatic brain injury and other undiagnosed disabilities.
We Love Our Sponsors!
Title Sponsor
Presenting Sponsor
Additional Sponsors
For sponsorship opportunities and other event inquiries, please contact:
EmilyBruenderman@bestbuddies.org
Best Buddies in Kentucky 3044 Bardstown Road, #1274, Louisville, KY 40205
Frequently Asked Questions
Every person who raises $50 or more will receive the official Best Buddies Friendship Walk t-shirt on walk day. It’s our way of saying thank you for supporting a more inclusive world and going the extra mile! Want to make sure you receive this year’s shirt? Get registered and start fundraising today!
First, thank you for bringing the whole family to support Best Buddies! As a family, you are raising funds as a collective unit (e.g. The SmithFamily) instead of as individuals, so the collective amount you’ve raised will be used to determine how many shirts you’ll receive on event day — the same “one t-shirt earned per $50 raised” still applies for family registrants.
For example: If you registered your family of 4 and you have $200 raised on your family page, each of you will receive a t-shirt when you arrive on event day!
First things first: Thank you! Your donation will count toward your child’s fundraising total, so they will be the one who earns the t-shirt. Want to make sure you receive one? Register to walk alongside them, make a donation of $50 or more, and the shirt is all yours on walk day!
We do! Simply bring it with you to the walk or contact your local Best Buddies office. Online donations are the easiest and safest, most secure way to give to Best Buddies, but either way — you’re making a difference!
Absolutely! Volunteers are vital to the success of the Friendship Walk, whether it’s assisting with event planning, day-of support, and more. Want to sign up to volunteer? Contact your local Best Buddies staff member — scroll up on the page one section to find more information!
Service animals are always welcome at the Friendship Walk! However, the allowance of other pets depends on the specific venue. For more information regarding bringing non-service animals, please reach out to your local Best Buddies staff member.
Best Buddies does not sell, share, or rent personal information collected through our website’s registration or donation forms. For more information, visit bestbuddies.org/privacy-policy