Best Buddies Prom for Students With Intellectual Disabilities Ends With Orange Show Ticket Sale Donation

Hundreds of students with intellectual disabilities from across San Bernardino County filled the dance floor at the National Orange Show on March 6 as the annual Best Buddies Prom returned for a night centered on friendship, inclusion and belonging.

The most emotional moment of the evening came when National Orange Show CEO Sheri Raborn stepped onto the stage and announced that the fairgrounds would donate every dollar from ticket sales back to Best Buddies’ Inland Empire chapter.

“This year, the NOS is going to donate 100% of the Prom ticket revenue received to host the Prom at the National Orange Show back to the Best Buddies Inland Empire Chapter to use as they see fit.  That’s the least we can do for everything you’ve done to honor both Dan Jimenez (former NOS CEO) and his daughter Joy (who passed away in 2012).” Raborn also said the National Orange Show is committed to hosting the event for years to come. 

The announcement drew cheers and tears from advisors, parents and students gathered inside the event hall — a powerful show of support for a program dedicated to building friendships between students with and without intellectual disabilities.

Founded in 1987 by Anthony Kennedy Shriver, Best Buddies began as a friendship initiative at Georgetown University and has since grown into the world’s largest nonprofit organization focused on inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Heather Lozano, coordinator of the Best Buddies Prom and advisor to the Best Buddies chapter at Cajon High School, said the organization’s core mission is simple: create genuine friendships.

“What the club does is pair students in general education with students in special education,” Lozano said. “What you’ll see here tonight is the biggest, most wonderful celebration of students being included and accepted by their general education peers. It’s really the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

Lozano first brought Best Buddies to Cajon High School in 2001. Today, she said, the chapter has grown into the largest club on campus with roughly 220 students involved.

Each week, students meet simply to spend time together — something Lozano said often leads to friendships that last well beyond high school.

“My daughter’s Buddy is still her friend,” Lozano said. “My daughter graduated in 2009, and they still call each other on the phone. That’s the whole idea of Best Buddies.”

For many families, the annual prom represents an experience that might otherwise be out of reach.

“Parents say, ‘My student usually can’t attend prom,’” Lozano said. “So this is that moment of acceptance — watching their students out on the dance floor with their general education peers. It’s just so exciting and wonderful.”

That joy was immediately visible as students walked through the doors and headed straight for the dance floor, filling the room with the Cha Cha Slide, the Wobble and a chorus of singing The YMCA. 

Unlike traditional proms, the event focuses less on spectacle and more on comfort and accessibility. Lights remain steady, parents are welcome to attend, and students requiring additional support are accompanied by teachers and caregivers.

“The kids don’t care,” Lozano said. “The DJ just plays the songs, and the kids sing and dance. It’s electric.”

The evening also carried special meaning as the first prom held since the passing of longtime National Orange Show CEO Dan Jimenez, who passed away in August 2025 after nearly two decades leading the organization.

Lozano said Jimenez became a passionate supporter of students with intellectual disabilities and helped the event grow by offering larger venues at the fairgrounds.

Each year, students would honor Jimenez’s daughter Joy — who passed away in her early 30s — by holding signs during a tribute while the song “Joy to the World” played.

This year, the tribute was renamed “Dancing with Joy,” honoring both Jimenez and his daughter.

Caroline Van Zant, program manager for Best Buddies in Los Angeles and the Inland Empire, said the prom reflects the organization’s broader mission of inclusion.

“This is a massive celebration of inclusion and the Best Buddies mission that Heather has been building for years,” Van Zant said.

Best Buddies operates more than 200 chapters throughout California, including about 65 across Los Angeles and the Inland Empire, Van Zant said.

The organization continues expanding its reach beyond high schools into middle schools and elementary campuses while also offering leadership training, family support and employment programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“I would want people to know that there is a Best Buddies program for everyone,” Van Zant said. “Whether you are a person with an intellectual or developmental disability or you love someone who is, there is a way to get involved.”

For Lozano, the prom represents something even deeper — the power of connection.

Having raised a son on the autism spectrum, visibly emotional, she said the friendships created through Best Buddies can change lives. “Watching him grow up without friends, that’s why this is such a passion to me,” Lozano said. “To see a child have a friend — that’s everything.”

Finally, another exciting opportunity for Best Buddies students is coming April 17th when the National Orange Show Fair hosts its Sunshine Day…an opportunity for these exact students to enjoy the fair before it opens to the general public–another example of the NOS’ commitment to Best Buddies Inland Empire.