Capital One Center Supports Best Buddies
Capital One Center maintains a strong, long-term partnership with Best Buddies, demonstrating its commitment to inclusive hiring and employee engagement. This collaboration provides unique volunteer and community engagement opportunities, including mentorship and friendship, aligning with Best Buddies' mission to create opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Examples include:
Jobs Program: Capital One Center proudly supports the Best Buddies Jobs Program by hiring from their talent pool through various third-party partners. These partners include Capital One Hall, Guest Service Agents working in Capital One’s office towers through Capital One’s real estate services provider (JLL), and the onsite Wegmans Grocery.
Raising Awareness During Events: Capital One Center significantly supports Best Buddies by raising awareness and fostering corporate partnerships. The large community festival, Perchfest, provides a platform for guests to learn about the organization's mission. Furthermore, Capital One Center hosts the Best Buddies Annual Employer Forum and actively shares collaboration insights to help expand the Best Buddies corporate partnerships program.
Community and Employee Engagement: Capital One Center demonstrates its commitment to community and employee engagement by organizing one of the largest teams for the annual Best Buddies Friendship Walk each spring. This highly anticipated event is a meaningful way for thousands of attendees to spend a fun and purposeful morning together. The Capital One Center team has consistently expanded over the years to include third-party partners and their families, reflecting a growing enthusiasm for this yearly tradition.
Capital One Center staff members proudly volunteer their time to support the Best Buddies mission of creating opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. These volunteer activities are diverse, ranging from professional development opportunities such as mock interviews and speed networking, to social events like a round of Perch Putt mini golf, cooking classes, or jointly writing holiday cards for local homeless shelters.
“The Best Buddies local partnership with Capital One Center is truly about bringing big energy to inclusion! Together, we’re opening new doors to support employment for people with developmental disabilities and building inclusive community connections. From Capital One Center hosting our annual Employer Recognition Breakfast to having Capital One Center’s team at our Friendship Walk on the National Mall—every time we partner—we are creating a world of meaningful friendships and productive futures. And…. we have so much fun doing it!”
Molly Whalen, State Director, Capital Region: Virginia & DC, Best Buddies International
Capital One Center’s partnership with Best Buddies is continually growing, and we are excited about the future! We are delighted to show our dedication to supporting Best Buddies' integrated employment goals and fostering inclusive workplaces.
About Capital One Center
Capital One Center is a 35 acre mixed-use development in the heart of Tysons, VA. Anchored by the headquarters of Capital One, Washington DC's hometown bank, and home to its over 12,000 associates in the region, Capital One Center is quickly transforming the skyline and the cultural landscape of Fairfax County. This 3 million sq. ft. development is a vibrant arts & entertainment destination which includes a large skypark, The Perch—complete with Starr Hill Biergarten, food trucks, and an 18-hole miniature golf course—and a 300-all-suite hotel, The Watermark Hotel, numerous retail and dining options, and most notably a world-class corporate events and performing arts center, Capital One Hall. In 2023 Capital One Park opened doors to a baseball stadium which hosts college, high school, and tournament games.
