Fact Sheet

  •  Founded September 1995 – Celebrated 28th Anniversary in 2023. 

  • Started with four Shadow Buddies in 1995, there are now 38 Buddies (& counting!) in 2023. 

  • Shadow Buddies are for boys & girls. Available in light, medium, and dark skin tones. 

  • Shadow Buddies are in 178 hospitals, all 50 states, and 20 countries.

  • 2000 Daily Points of Light Award; featured in People magazine, Time, Woman’s World, 22 U.S. and 5 Canadian radio stations; and the featured story on the ABC talk show The View and NBC’s Today Show.

  • 2009 Midwest Top 50 CEO Most Influential Women of the Year; 2001 National Award winner of Women’s Tylenol® – “Commitment to Care Awards” for Caring for Children, Dallas, Texas.

  • Over 2.2 Million Shadow Buddies distributed to date.

  • 1,550 Know Your Buddy BookTM programs distributed nationally – 412,000 children, siblings, teachers, and healthcare providers reached to date.

  • 18,600 Shadow Buddy backpacks delivered to pediatric specialty camps.

  • Shadow Buddies listed in the resource database of the National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities in Washington D.C.

  • Launched Pink Parties in 2010 – 23,550 pampered girls to date.

  • Over 89,500 Tony Gonzalez Buddies distributed to children.

  • Over 9,700 Tony Gonzalez Senior Buddies distributed to seniors.

  • 17,500 Super Hero Buddies delivered to pediatric patients.

  • Shadow Buddies teamed with Sporting Kansas City’s Victory Project in 2014.

  • Launched “Gus”, a black Labrador therapy dog in 2023 — a partnership with the Johnson County, KS Sheriff’s Department.

  • Launched Courage Capes in 2019, and have donated 8,400 capes & masks to pediatric patients across the country.

  • Introduced the Courageous Crew in 2020 – Fireman, Police Officer, First Responder, Physician/Nurse and Military Buddies and have distributed 5,000 to date.