Best Buddies Life is Sweet event happens at The Shops at Wailea on Sat. Nov. 12. Courtesy photo.

The Shops at Wailea will host the 7^th annual Best Buddies Hawai‘i’s Life is Sweet Celebration on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016.  The event will run from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the main fountain courtyard.

Wailea’s top restaurant and resort pastry chefs will compete at this community fundraising event to create Wailea’s Signature Dessert for 2017. Ticket price for the event is $60.00 and guests will enjoy an afternoon of dessert and savory tastings, a beverage garden, live entertainment and silent auction items that may be perfect for the holidays. Tickets can be purchased through the Best Buddies Hawaii website.

Master of ceremonies at this year’s gala event is Olympic Gold medalist, Carl Lewis. Proceeds from the ticket sales and silent auction items help support Best Buddies Hawai‘i and its Maui County high school and intermediate school student programs at Baldwin High School, King Kekaulike High School, Lahainaluna High School, Maui High School, Seabury Hall, ‘Iao Intermediate, Lokelani Intermediate and Maui Waena Intermediate. The funds raised from the event are vital in ensuring that the individuals supported through Best Buddies Hawai‘i attain every opportunity to flourish.

Best Buddies of Hawaii is a part of an international nonprofit organization committed to establishing a global volunteer movement.  It creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Best Buddies is the world’s largest organization dedicated to ending the social, physical and economic isolation of the 200 million people with IDD.  For individuals within this community, Best Buddies helps them form meaningful friendships with their peers, secure successful jobs, live independently, improve public speaking, self-advocacy and communications skills, and feel valued by society.