[MIAMI, FLORIDA] November 15, 2025 — Miss America 2026 Cassie Donegan was honored to attend the 27th Annual Best Buddies Miami Gala and Champion of the Year, a premier event celebrating inclusion, community, and the transformative work of Best Buddies International.
The Gala brought together business leaders, political dignitaries, athletes, and celebrities for an unforgettable evening featuring a gourmet dinner, a top-tier auction, and special performances by Ashanti and Ja Rule.
Best Buddies International, a nonprofit 501(c)(3), is dedicated to building a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, inclusive living, and family support for people with IDD. The organization serves individuals and families across a spectrum of disabilities, including Down syndrome, autism, fragile X, Williams syndrome, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, and other undiagnosed disabilities.
As the world’s largest organization working to end the social, physical, and economic isolation of people with IDD, Best Buddies provides programs that help participants form meaningful friendships, secure successful jobs, live independently, strengthen public-speaking and self-advocacy skills, and experience true inclusion in their communities.
Proceeds from the Miami Gala directly support these life-changing programs and the global expansion of Best Buddies’ mission.
Cassie was deeply inspired by the evening and proud to represent the Miss America Organization’s continued commitment to promoting inclusion, dignity, and opportunity for all—values shared at the heart of the Miss America and Best Buddies alliance.
###
About Miss America
Miss America is the nation’s premier empowerment platform for young women, with service to community at the core of its impact. Participants pursue personal and professional growth while inspiring others as positive role models. With its mission of Empowering Women to Lead, Miss America is also the largest provider of tuition scholarships for women in the United States, distributed through the Miss America’s Scholarship Foundation Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization.