THE INAUGURAL BEST BUDDIES CHALLENGE: NEW YORK PRESENTED BY JERSEY MIKE'S SUBS AND WELLS FARGO RAISES $6 MILLION FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

Cycling Legend Mark Cavendish led the ride from New York City to the iconic Glenmere Mansion in the Ramapo Mountains

NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ --Best Buddies International, a nonprofit dedicated to creating opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, inclusive living, and family support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), hosted its inaugural Best Buddies Challenge: New York, presented by Jersey Mike's Subs and Wells Fargo. on Saturday, October 4^th. Cycling legend and Tour de France Stage Winner Mark Cavendish served as Honorary Chair of the Challenge – a charity ride, run, and walk benefiting Best Buddies International. Nearly 800 guests attended the event which raised $6 Million for Best Buddies programs.

"Bringing the Best Buddies Challenge to New York City for the very first time was truly a dream come true," said Anthony K. Shriver, Founder, Chairman & CEO of Best Buddies International. "Raising $6 million in our inaugural year surpassed every expectation and set the bar high for what's to come. To have cycling icon Mark Cavendish serve as our Honorary Chair made this milestone event even more special. His passion, energy, and commitment to inclusion inspires participants and shine a spotlight on the incredible mission of Best Buddies as we ride together to create a more inclusive world."

The Challenge kicked off on Friday, October 3rd with a welcome reception at the iconic Rainbow Room in New York City. On Saturday, October 4, hundreds of cyclists, including Tour de France Champion Mark Cavendish and professional cyclists Alberto Contador, Cam Wurf, and Leanda Cave led cyclists from the starting line in New York City for the picturesque 100-mile ride portion of the Best Buddies Challenge: New York. The 100-mile riders embarked from New York City, crossed the George Washington Bridge and continued north along the Hudson River Valley to Bear Mountain State Park. From the summit, riders rolled through Harriman State Park and continued west to finish at the historic Glenmere Mansion in the Ramapo Mountains. Celebrity guests attending the weekend's festivities included Journalist and author Maria Shriver and son Christopher Schwarzenegger; and the newly crowned Miss America 2026 Cassie Donegan.

The Challenge is open to participants of all ages and abilities and is designed to showcase the Best Buddies mission in action. It also featured alternative 36 and 15-mile cycling routes, and a 5K run or walk.

At Glenmere Mansion, guests enjoyed a gourmet luncheon and an afternoon of inspiring entertainment featuring performers David Burnham, Richard Goodall (America's Got Talent Season 19 winner), Billy Blanks Jr. and 42ndStreet Tap, and a special performance of "This Is Me" by Marisha Wallace and Best Buddies Global Ambassador Marlana VanHoose.

During the celebration, Best Buddies Founder Anthony K. Shriver joined by Best Buddies Ambassadors, recognized the event's top individual and team fundraisers, and riders with the fastest times from each starting line. The festivities also featured an exciting live auction, and in total two limited edition Best Buddies XPinarello Dogma F bikes were sold for $20,000 each to Best Buddies supporters.

The inaugural Best Buddies Challenge: New York was a record-breaking success, and an excellent stride in making the world more inclusive for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

This year's Challenge sponsors included: Presenting Sponsors Jersey Mike's Subs and Wells Fargo. Central Park Sponsors BODYARMOR – Official Water & Sports Beverage Partner of Best Buddies; fairlife - Official Sports Recovery Partner of Best Buddies; Klingman & Associates ;The Carolan Foundation; and The Coca-Cola Company – Official Beverage Partner of Best Buddies: Hudson Valley Sponsors: Citadel; The Charles A. Mastronardi Foundation; and Volvo Car USA; Glenmere Sponsors: Brookfield, BNY Mellon, Citco, E. & J. GalloWinery, Fanatics, Liberty Beverages Coca-Cola, Mark Edward Partners, UBS, and Waymo; and Official Bike Sponsor Pinarello. 

Top Individuals

1. Gerardo Castillo ($50,000.00)

2. Marcus Gershenberg ($32,500.00)

3. Charles Korn ($27,000.00)

Top Teams

1. Team Morgan Stanley ($45,264.00)

2. Team RUBBER N' ROAD ($42,580.00)

3. Team Signature Cycles ($31,905.50)

ABOUT BEST BUDDIES INTERNATIONAL:  

Best Buddies® is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, inclusive living, and family support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Founded in 1989 by Anthony K. Shriver, Best Buddies is a vibrant organization that has grown from one original chapter to nearly 3,800 elementary, middle school, high school, and college chapters worldwide. Today, Best Buddies' programs engage participants in each of the 50 states and in 43 countries, positively impacting the lives of nearly 1.5 million people with and without disabilities around the world. In many cases, as a result of their involvement with Best Buddies, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities secure rewarding jobs, live on their own, become inspirational leaders, and make lifelong friendships. For more information, please visit www.bestbuddies.org, facebook.com/bestbuddies or instagram.com/bestbuddies.

SOURCE Best Buddies International