Long before Kennedy Garcia joined the cast of Days of Our Lives as Felicity and became a bona fide soap star, the actress and model has

advocated for the Down Syndrome community. And now, the talented young lady is being recognized for her efforts with a nomination as a

Champion of the Year through the Best Buddies organization!

A global nonprofit, Best Buddies International generates opportunities for friendships, jobs, and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The annual Champion of the Year program is a competitive fundraising campaign that recognizes the most active leaders in the name of inclusivity in various communities across the United States.

A longtime supporter of the organization, Garcia is one of 11 candidates in the Los Angeles area vying for the title — and she has roped in her DAYS co-star Christopher Sean (Paul) as her assistant!

“Christopher has agreed to be my mission partner as we take on the next nine weeks of fundraising and helping this amazing organization, and who better to help me than Paul Narita himself (and you know, Ultraman!),” she wrote on Instagram, nodding to Sean’s starring role in the Netflix film Ultraman: Rising.

For her fundraising campaign, Garcia is auctioning off many items, including swag from the soap, lunch with some of DAYS’ leading ladies, tickets to a Day Players Band concert, a spa day, beauty products, and more.

“Most importantly,” she shared, “please click the link in our bios to donate to this important cause! Your donation will help individuals with disabilities find jobs and become leaders in their communities and more!”

The Southern California gala — an Old Hollywood-meets-a-new-vision-of-inclusion theme called “Lights, Camera, Inclusion — will be held on Thursday, October 24, at the Skirball Cultural Center.  You can visit Garcia and Sean’s fundraising page here, and learn more about the Best Buddies Champion of the Year program at BestBuddiesChampion.org.