To benefit Best Buddies International—an organization that strives to promote friendships, integrated employment, and leadership development for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities—Audi, Maria Shriver, and California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom hosted the annual Best Buddies Challenge. Clint Eastwood, Nancy O’Dell, Verne Troyer, and other supporters competed in various events like a 5K or bike rides of 15, 35, 62, or 100 miles along the Pacific Coast Highway, or an 18-hole golf challenge at Tehama Golf Club. To finish the weekend, the more than 1,500 philanthropic participants relaxed at Hearst Ranch with a celebratory barbecue, complete with a live performance from Blues Traveler. The organization also honored Steve Hearst with the Spirit of Leadership award.

View more pictures here: http://la-confidential-magazine.com/galleries/best-buddies-international-benefit

Justin Knighten with Lucas Public Affairs reports that members of “Team Maria,” led by former CA First Lady Maria Shriver and Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, pedaled their bikes Saturday along the Pacific Coast Highway for “Best Buddies Challenge: Hearst Castle,” an annual fundraiser for Best Buddies International, a non-profit started byShriver’s brother, Anthony Shriver that raises money for programs for people with intellectual an developmental disabilities. This year, Team Maria raised $400,000, “the second highest amount of any team.” The team of 120 riders completed one of four courses between Carmel and the Hearst Castle in San Simeon that were 100 miles, 100 kilometers, 30 miles or 15 miles in length. Knighten says Donna Lucas of Lucas Public Affairs has worked with Shriver and Newsom to organize the team since it began in 2009 and served on the Challenge’s 2012 Host Committee. Silicon Valley Leadership Group’s Carl Guardino and his wife, Leslee, raised the most money for Team Maria and finished the 30 mile leg of the ride with their daughters, Jessica and Siena. Other riders included: John Masterson from the Office of Gov. Jerry Brown; Supt. of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson; Assembly Minority Leader Connie Conway; Sen. Michael Rubio (he and his wife Dora rode the full 100 miles); Maricela Rodriguez from The California Endowment; Greg Lucas, editor of California’s Capitol; and staff from Lucas Public Affairs and Dewey Square Group. Actors Kelly Hu and Verne Troyerand host of Entertainment Tonight Nancy O’Dell also participated. Contact: Knighten,Justin@LucasPublicAffairs.com.

As a proud sponsor of Maria Shriver’s Ninth Best Buddies Challenge, the ET family rode down to Hearst Castle over the weekend to help raise money for the charity.

“People with intellectual disabilities often are the last person invited to a party, the last person who has a friend,” Maria told ET’s Nancy O’Dell. Maria’s brother, Anthony K. Shriver, founded Best Buddies in 1989 as a non-profit organization that works to put individuals with intellectual disabilities into the workplace.

“There’s huge unemployment amongst people with intellectual disabilities,” said Maria. “Best Buddies seeks to change that.”

The weekend’s events included Entertainment Tonight’s Best Buddies Golf Challenge and the Hearst Castle 100-Mile Charity Bike Ride. The former drew participation from President of CBS Television Distribution, John Nogawski, ET’s Chris Jacobs, The Insider‘s Kevin Frazier and Nancy’s husband Keith.

The organization has been able to raise close to $5 million for their cause. Watch the video for more.

VIDEO: Maria Shriver’s ‘Best Buddies’ Help Good Cause

Name: Azim Rajan

City of residence: Santa Monica, California

Occupation: I work in the financial industry, analyzing international banks.

How long have you been involved with Best Buddies?

This is my second year riding. Last year, along with 13 other i-CERV (Ismaili Community Engaged in Responsible Volunteering) volunteers, I participated in the ride. After having been introduced to Best Buddies and its wonderful objective of enhancing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities, several of us decided to challenge ourselves and ride in the event.

For some of us the challenge of a long bike ride appeared easy. I had not ridden for many years, but instead played other sports, so I thought the bike ride would be easy. After the first couple of training rides we realized that this was “no ride in the park” and a mountain bike was not going to cut it. Needless to say, now we are hooked and regularly bike every weekend.

As part of the Best Buddies community, we can see the kind of opportunities Best Buddies brings about for people. Helping to improve the quality of life of others reflects Islamic values of compassion, generosity and care for those in need. As part of our social responsibility, we are happy to participate in this effort and support Best Buddies. Additionally, we have the opportunity to work with like-minded people and enjoy the added benefit of becoming healthier along the way.

Having participated last year, there was no question of not being a part of this initiative. In fact, all year, many of my teammates have continued to ride regularly to prepare for this event, and have tried to get others interested in getting involved. This year, I will be riding with 10 teammates who are all I-CERV volunteers. And another 20 I-CERV members will be volunteering at the event.

What inspired you to join Team Maria and take on the Challenge?

Team Maria was the obvious choice for our team as I-CERV has worked with Maria Shriver in other initiatives that impact the lives of our fellow citizens. We participated in the Alzheimer’s March in 2009 and the Women’s Conferences in 2008 and 2009. For us, this is a good fit, working together to become agents of change.

What is the most rewarding part of the Challenge for you?

Earlier this summer, I was riding along with my teammates, when I had a fall, and ended up surfing along the Pacific Coast Highway tarmac on my chin! I broke my hand and had stitches on my face. However, thanks to the head gear and gloves, which in my opinion should be mandatory wear for all riders, the injuries were not too serious and I have recovered just in time for the ride. The inspiration to ride again despite all this came easily. Once you are a Best Buddy Team member, the inspiration comes from within. You can see amazing examples of people with intellectual disabilities being given opportunities to be contributing members of society, and you cannot fail to experience pride in what they can accomplish ….and satisfaction for your small contribution towards this end.

ET was with Maria Shriver over the weekend to help raise money for Best Buddies, a non-profit organization that works to put individuals with intellectual disabilities into the workplace.

Nancy O’Dell along with Entertainment Tonight executive producer and Best Buddies supporter Linda Bell Blue helped host the event, where they introduced best buddy Oliver Britten, who works on the ET staff.

“It’s been an absolutely fantastic experience,” Oliver told the audience at the Montage in Beverly Hills. “I can’t say I would have predicted my life going this way.”

Other notable guests included Maria’s daughter Katherine as well as Cheryl Hines, Michael Chiklis and David Spade.

“This is about organizations like Entertainment Tonight that step up and lead,” said Maria Shriver.

Watch the video for more and click here to learn how you can help this great cause.

In nine years, the annual Best Buddies Challenge: Hearst Castle, a coastal bike race from Carmel to San Simeon, has raised $30 million for this global organization that provides mentoring and jobs for people with intellectual developmental disabilities.

And thanks to dedicated support for this fundraiser from Hearst Corp. Vice President and Western Properties Division Manager Steve Hearst, Best Buddies recently received a big boost of $250K from the Hearst Foundations.

Hearst will be honored during the Sept. 8 race when Best Buddies presents him its highest accolade, the Spirit of Leadership Award.

Hearst held a pre-party fundraiser, co-hosted by Da Mayor Willie Brown and an in-absentia Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, Monday at MatrixFillmore. Hearst also received able assists from Mayor Ed Lee, Protocol Chief Charlotte Shultz and Best Buddies founder-chairman Anthony Shriver.

“Years ago, out of the blue, I received a call at my office: ‘Hearst? This is Shriver. I’d like to have a party at the castle,’ ” he recalled. “I laughed and said, ‘I need a bit more information.’ ”

Hearst explained that this family property is now a national historic landmark managed by the state of California.

“But the castle sits prominently within 82,000 acres owned by Hearst Corp.,” he said. “Best Buddies is a great cause. So I told Anthony that if we hosted 800 to 900 race people on the ranch property, I was pretty sure they’d be comfortable.”

Also waving the flag: Hearst’s wife, Barbara Hearst; Best Buddies S.F. Program Manager Katelyn Bollenbacher; S.F. Chamber of Commerce President Steve Falk; the Arc’s director of employment services, Terry Goodwin; Founders Den co-founder Zack Bogue; and political scribe Greg Lucas with his wife, public affairs strategist Donna Lucas, who helped her then-boss, former first lady Maria Shriver, develop the Best Buddies’ Team Maria bike team.

The lively fete featured toasts and tributes, including an inspirational speech by John Hammond, a City College student who serves as Best Buddies’ activities director on the USF campus.

With assistance from the Arc, which provides job placement for Best Buddies, Hammond was one of the first IDD employees hired by the Giants. He works at the Coke bottle batting cage during games.

“Many people believe that with an intellectual developmental disability, you cannot live a successful life. But I’m here to prove them wrong,” Hammond declared. “Though I have a developmental disability, I have many abilities that allow me to work at my paid and volunteer jobs, make friends, attend college, play sports and be a Buddy ambassador.”

Anthony Shriver founded Best Buddies while a student at Georgetown University – not surprising considering he’s the youngest son of the late Sargent and Eunice Kennedy Shriver, dedicated philanthropists who founded the Special Olympics on their family farm in Maryland.

“With Best Buddies, we’ve got the cure already: We know that employment is critical to people’s lives and that solves the problem in so many different ways for them,” Shriver told gathered guests.

“We know that mentors and friendship and integration and inclusion and support and encouragement solves the problem. And removes people with intellectual disabilities from isolation and exclusion. And removes them from being on the fringes and brings them into the mainstream.

“That’s the cure. When you see John, I think you get it. But there’s millions and millions and millions of people just like John in the United States that don’t have opportunities like John’s received from Best Buddies.”

Some of that local job assistance arrived via his sister, Maria Shriver, who, as the state’s first lady, picked up her brother’s baton and challenged California mayors to hire people with developmental disabilities in their administrations.

Newsom was one of the first to enact that mission by hiring Carmelite Buenaventura, who now works for Lee.

“This is a great city to work for. And part of its greatness and tradition, which is something I learned from Willie Brown, Gavin Newsom and Charlotte Shultz, is this is a city for everybody,” Lee said. “I’m proud to not only have Carmelite on our staff, but she’s been helping us pass the first two-year budget, the biggest budget in history. And a budget that has room for everybody.”

Catherine Bigelow is The San Francisco Chronicle‘s society correspondent. E-mail: missbigelow@sfgate.com

Read online: http://www.sfgate.com/style/article/Best-Buddies-to-honor-Steve-Hearst-3751546.php

Standing strong in the face of adversity, Maria Shriver and her children biked for charity over the weekend, raising money for the nonprofit Best Buddies — and our own Nancy O’Dell was part of Team Maria!

The Eighth Audi Best Buddies Challenge — which saw cyclers riding 100 miles from Carmel, CA to Hearst Castle — was a huge success, raising approximately four-and-a-half million dollars. Maria’s team of 120 riders, including her children Katherine, Patrick and Christopher alongside Nancy O’Dell and Teri Hatcher, brought in nearly $400,000 for the cause.

“I think there’s different versions of strength,” says Maria, “and so I just try to get up every day, and some days it’s harder than others. And you just try to conduct yourself in a way that you can look in the mirror and feel that you’re doing the best you can, and try to set an example for yourself and your children, and then that’s the best you can do. Some days strength is vulnerability, some days strength is strength — some days classy is staying in bed,” she adds with a laugh.

Created by Maria’s brother Anthony Shriver, Best Buddies is a nonprofit 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 (IDD).

It’s no surprise that Anthony and Maria devote so much of their lives to helping those less fortunate. It was a lesson taught by their mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who created the Special Olympics, and their father, Sargent Shriver, who established the Peace Corps.

“My parents really stressed it,” says Maria. “All of our vacations were about service, so they really walked their walk and they had the belief that you’re never too young or too old to be of service.”

Now, Entertainment Tonight is now even more involved with Best Buddies, having hired Oliver, a “Best Buddy” person with intellectual disabilities who wants to become a director.

“I’m so glad that Entertainment Tonight has hired a person with intellectual disabilities, a Best Buddy, and we’re trying to get so many other corporations and businesses to do the same, so ET, you’re leading the way!” says Maria.

For more information on Best Buddies, go to www.BestBuddies.org.

Name: Maria Shriver

Why did you found TEAM MARIA?

I founded Team Maria in 2008 with my good friends, Donna Lucas and Margaret Lyons. This team is such a fun way of bringing all the people in my whole wide world together to raise awareness and money for Best Buddies. My brother Anthony founded this life-changing organization back in 1989 and its mission is so near and dear to my heart.

Why is the Best Buddies program, and its mission, so important?

Best Buddies’ work, at its heart, is about letting people with intellectual disabilities know that they are part of something bigger than themselves. Best Buddies encourages schools, individuals and work places to include people with intellectual disabilities in society and their lives. Each and every day, the organization sets out to prove to the world that people with intellectual disabilities can hold jobs, go to school and be a productive member of society.

I think this is vitally important work. Inclusion – feeling part of a group or team – is just an essential human need. People with intellectual disabilities are often left out of the everyday experiences we all take for granted. Best Buddies truly understands the power of inclusion.

What motivates you to participate in the Audi Best Buddies Challenge: Hearst Castle?

I don’t see it as an option. My mother taught all of us that we must live with a purpose larger than ourselves, that we must work to make the world a better place.

Year after year, seeing all of the wonderful Buddies, supporters, families and friends who come out to ride for such a life-changing organization is a wonderful experience. This year is especially touching because Team Maria is riding in honor of both my parents, Sargent and Eunice Shriver.

Name: Katherine Schwarzenegger

Age: 21

From: Los Angeles, CA

Occupation: Student, Author, Activist

TEAM MARIA Alumni? How long? What leg of the race?

Yes, I am a Team Maria Alumni! Since the beginning I have been a Team Maria member! This year I am doing the 15 mile ride, I tried the 35 last year and it was a bit too intense for me!

Why did you join TEAM MARIA?

Because my mother made me (haha)!! Also because I love everything that the team represents! It is complied of strong women and men who are determined to raise money for a great cause like Best Buddies, but also want to have a great time! Everyone on this team enjoys giving back and wants to make a difference in peoples lives, and I am honored to be a part of that. Plus, Team Maria is obviously the coolest and best team!!

Why is the Best Buddies program, and its mission, so important?

I think Best Buddies is an essential program in everyone’s lives no matter what their age. Ever since I was little, I was taught the importance of those with intellectual disabilities and the incredible abilities they have, but not everyone has that. Best Buddies’ mission is to create one on one friendships and have people with intellectual disabilities working in the work force. It is important for every person to have the opportunity to interact with people with intellectual disabilities, and BB programs in schools allow kids across the country to do this. Without a program like BB, people would most likely never have the ability to build memories and share experiences with people with intellectual disabilities. The people that I have met who have been involved in BB always talk about how much it has changed their lives for the better and taught them so much about themselves and their buddies.

What motivates you to participate in the Audi Best Buddies Challenge: Hearst Castle?

What motivates me to participate is the fact that I can help raise money and promote awareness so a great program, like BB, can continue to grow and be a part of peoples lives all across the world. This program is one that touches so many people and changes so many lives and participating in the BB Challenge will allow BB to continue doing this. I also think this event is tons of fun and has a great group of people to bike with and share laughs with!

What is the URL to your personal TEAM MARIA fundraising page?

http://www.hcchallenge2011.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=437651&lis=1&kntae437651=939D1BA4D7CE4D0FB09C873B82E996B9&supId=109998464

Anything else you would like to share?

Please come to Fashion’s Night Out this Thursday, September 8th at the Diane Von Furstenberg store on Melrose in LA to help support Best Buddies while shopping!!

I wanted to take a moment to let you know about a cause I am proud to support: the “Best Buddies” Challenge bike ride.

Founded by Anthony Kennedy Shriver in 1989, Best Buddies’ mission is to establish a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

This fantastic organization seeks to connect people with intellectual disabilities to mentors and friends. Best Buddies also helps people train for, obtain, and maintain jobs.

To help Best Buddies, my daughter Tamara and I will be riding 100 kilometers (62 miles) along Highway 1 near Big Sur on September 10th and my wife Mae will be riding 15 miles. The ride is a fundraiser to support the Best Buddies organization’s efforts to expand its programs to more communities.

The Best Buddies organization helps 700,000 people each year connect to caring employers who mentor them in a real employment situation. This is a win-win for all of the participants! Help us help Best Buddies. Please consider pledging 25 cents, 50 cents, or $1 per mile for our peddling. Or, send a bigger contribution if you are so inclined.

Thanks for your consideration!

Best regards,

P.S. You can make a donation by clicking here.