Thousands of people woke up bright and early to put their best foot forward, all in the name of friendship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was a perfect Saturday morning to raise money and awareness, as participants in the annual Ed Ansin Best Buddies Friendship Walk laced up their sneakers and took steps for a good cause at loanDepot Park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
7News anchor Craig Stevens was the emcee of the event, which is a big part of the WSVN family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Andrew Ansin, the CEO of Sunbeam Television, the parent company of 7News, said the Friendship Walk has a special meaning for the station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“My dad became very friendly with [Best Buddies founder and CEO] Anthony Shriver years ago, became a big supporter of Best Buddies, and about four years ago, shortly after he passed … Anthony was gracious enough to name the walk after my dad.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The organization Best Buddies is about empowering people with intellectual and developmental disabilities — giving support to their families, providing a place for friendships and leadership to be nurtured, and creating opportunities for inclusive living.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We support Best Buddies, we enjoy what they do, its diversity — we feel that’s important — and including everyone and making sure that everyone gets a good chance to be an active part of the community,” said Ansin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Best Buddies also offers a win-win opportunity for businesses looking to hire and for workers who might otherwise be left out of the workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Joshua Felder said Best Buddies has changed his life for the 16 years he’s been active in the organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“What it’s given me is, it’s definitely given me the self-confidence to break out of my shell,” he said. “It’s also given me huge opportunities.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Felder’s path has taken him from dancing in the Super Bowl, to a movie role in the comedy “Champions” opposite Woody Harrelson. Now he is helping to make a smoother road for those joining after him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“What I do for my position as a Global Ambassador is help motivate them and explain to them my journey, how it’s helped me, and that it would do the same for them,” said Felder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Shriver, the continued strong show of support in Miami is a testament to how important its mission and vision are to South Florida.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“It’s just a great celebration of diversity and a great celebration of the best of Miami, and I love celebrating the best of Miami,” he said. “When people come out to celebrate, people with special needs, I think it’s a great reflection of our community.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Saturday’s event raised nearly $350,000, surpassing its fundraising goal of $330,000. For more information on Best Buddies, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"