Be a BuddyExploring and celebrating the place we all love to call home.
VOL. 301 / Be a Buddy
This week, we're welcoming back Sofia McDaniel, J.D., as our guest editor. Sofia is a local business leader, K–12 education advocate, girls lacrosse coach, and passionate champion for expanding access and opportunity for young people. With experience spanning K–12 innovation, sport leadership, and community partnerships, she is dedicated to advancing meaningful change. Her work is increasingly informed by a focus on public health and how we can better support real outcomes for young people.
In addition to her professional work, Sofia is deeply committed to advocacy and service. With two siblings with autism, she has a personal connection to the intellectual and developmental disabilities community and is a dedicated supporter of inclusive programming through organizations like Best Buddies.
Sofia is also an SEA Fellow with Empower Schools and loves to noodle on how to make educational options more accessible for all parents and families alongside state education leaders from across the nation.
This week, Sofia is here to share her tips for exploring and celebrating this place we all love to call home.
Take it away, Sofia ...
Best Buddies Friendship Walk
Best Buddies is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Through one-to-one friendships, leadership development, integrated employment, and inclusive living programs, Best Buddies is transforming the way communities understand and embrace inclusion.
In Richmond, Best Buddies plays a critical role in building connections between students, families, and professionals. It creates spaces where individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are not only supported, but celebrated. For me, this mission is deeply personal. With two siblings with autism, I’ve seen firsthand how life-changing inclusion, friendship, and opportunity can be. Best Buddies is not just an organization, it’s a movement toward a more compassionate and accessible world.
I am Chair of the Best Buddies Friendship Walk in Richmond and serve on the Advisory Board for Best Buddies in VA/DC. This walk brings together families, friends, and supporters to celebrate friendship, acceptance, and opportunity. Join me on April 19 for a day of unity and support at this historic event, which fosters genuine friendships, promotes inclusivity, and raises vital funds for Best Buddies in Virginia & DC.
“Structure: A Study in Fashion” is a runway show during RVA Fashion Week, blending art, design, and purpose. This show brings together a collective of emerging and established designers to explore form, movement, and storytelling through fashion, all while supporting the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer initiative.
Featuring designers like Albie Sweets, C Renee, Constantine Atelier, Convertino Couture, N5 Couture, Suigens, and more, the show promises a dynamic mix of couture, streetwear, and experimental design.
To me, it’s fashion with intention. Events like this highlight not only Richmond’s growing fashion scene, but also the power of art to bring people together around something meaningful.
Vitals:
“Structure: A Study in Fashion” at RVA Fashion Week / Saturday, April 11, 2026 / 6PM-10PM / Deco at CNB, 219 East Broad Street
Earn The Sunrise
On Wednesdays at EVLVE Training Club, personal trainer Jesus Martinez, “Baby Gesus,” leads participants through a high-energy workout session before the sun is up. He really makes you “earn the sunrise.”
I always say you will never regret a workout. Earn the Sunrise gives you community and a great way to start your day. You may even be lucky enough to have Baby Gesus roll the “dice” and earn 15 extra push-ups.
Best Buddies is the largest organization dedicated to ending the social, physical, and economic isolation of the 200 million people worldwide with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Programs offered by Best Buddies empower people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to form meaningful friendships with their peers, secure jobs, improve communication and advocacy skills, and live independently, while also offering support for their families. There are over 100 chapters and more than 42,870 people impacted. In our area, the Virginia & Washington, D.C. chapter offers a variety of ways to develop one-to-one friendships, join or volunteer, donate, attend an event, advocate, and more.
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