About TasteBuds

The Return of TasteBuds

After a five-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Best Buddies is proud to announce the
return of its annual TasteBuds event. This exclusive signature event offers the Pittsburgh
community a taste of the burgeoning restaurant scene and its relationship with Best Buddies, an
organization that advocates for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
TasteBuds pairs a talented chef from the Greater Pittsburgh area with an individual with
intellectual disabilities. The individual works as a sous chef as they cook, prepare, and serve a
signature dish to the guests for one action-packed evening. Along with the large array of sample
dishes, guests enjoy complimentary drinks, live entertainment, a silent auction, and learn more
about the Best Buddies mission along the way. This experience not only financially supports the
Best Buddies Friendship Programs for individuals with intellectual and developmental
disabilities (IDD), but it is also an opportunity to witness relationships formed from the
experience and to celebrate the formation of new friendships.

History
TasteBuds was created by Best Buddies Pittsburgh in 2016 as a way to bring awareness to the
organization and the individuals involved with Best Buddies. TasteBuds raise funds every year in
support of the non-profit chapter in Pittsburgh. Growth and success follow each yearly event, and
the friendships built grow stronger every year.

Since its first event in 2016, Tastebuds has made a tremendous impact in the Pittsburgh region,
raising XXX. In 2016, TasteBuds had only six media placements with over three million media
impressions. Fast forward to 2018, media placement went up to more than 50 with 25 million
media impressions. After a nearly three year gap due to the pandemic, TasteBuds intends to
come back better than ever in 2022 in support of their beloved IDD community.

Company Vision and Mission Statement

Mission: Best Buddies International 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, and inclusive living for individuals with
intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Who We Serve: The IDD community that Best Buddies serves includes, but is not limited to,
people with Down syndrome, autism, Fragile X, Williams syndrome, cerebral palsy, traumatic
brain injury and other undiagnosed disabilities.

Programs: Best Buddies is the world’s largest organization dedicated to ending the social,
physical and economic isolation of the 200 million people 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.

Event Highlights
● Special Holiday Pop-Up table & bar taking place in Market Square during the holiday
market season
● Ticket special with participating restaurants, with opportunities to win a surprise gift
● Official TasteBuds Cookbook, with exclusive recipes from participating top Pittsburgh
chefs and their buddies
● Annual TasteBuds event, presented by Best Buddies