Way back when Tom Brady was a mostly-unknown rookie quarterback for the New England Patriots, he was invited to join Anthony Kennedy Shriver for the annual 100-mile fundraising bike ride for Best Buddies which helps those with mental challenges. Brady made the trek with his sisters. Lots has changed during the last decade for Brady (Super Bowls, supermodel wife, super-looking sons) but he remains committed to the cause. This year, he was chairman and has drawn many others to join him for the fun.
Best Buddies was founded by Shriver in 1989 and creates opportunities for friendships, employment and leadership development for the disabled. This past weekend drew a field of participants that included Brady’s coach Bill Belichick, Bob Saget and Verne Troyer, who raced his 25-year-old buddy Alex O’Brien on their mobility scooters in the Friendship Races held before the 100-mile ride, according to the Cape Cod Times.
“I think it’s very important to be educated about people with learning disabilities,” said Troyer, who met O’Brien at the event. “We and they want to be treated the same.”
The weekend schedule of Audi Best Buddies Challenge events included a kickoff Friday night featuring Tom Brady playing flag football at Harvard Stadium and a tailgate party hosted by Diners, Drive-ins and Dives’ Guy Fieri. The weekend-long events that spread from Hyannis to Harvard drew $4 million in donations.
All in all, sounds like a fun-raiser.
Photo by bestbuddieschallenge via Flickr, video via YouTube.