LEHI — Donny Osmond has an unlikely favorite friend.
No, it's not his sister, Marie. And it's not a fellow celebrity.
Osmond's "best buddy" is Ryan Hawthorne, a 28-year-old from Florida with a below-70 IQ and adaptive disabilities.
The two first met at the 2002 wedding reception of Osmond's son, Jeremy, to Hawthorne's sister, Melisa.
The "Pyramid" host took Ryan for a spin in his red Mustang. They've been exchanging phone calls, letters and e-mail messages since that joyride.
The pairing is unusual, Osmond admits, but it makes them both feel good and helps Hawthorne assimilate himself into mainstream society.
The latter is the objective of the Best Buddies program, which pairs intellectually challenged youths and adults with peer mentors.
"These buddies make an amazing difference," said Melisa Osmond, who is the director of Utah's Best Buddies chapter.
"Having a friend makes everything different. It pulls them into society and gives them something to live for."
Best Buddies was founded in 1989 by Anthony Kennedy Shriver, the brother-in-law of California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Since, the program has found support from Hollywood to the Beltway.
Democrat presidential hopeful Sen. John Kerry is a buddy. And singers Marc Anthony and Bon Jovi have lent their voices to Best Buddies fund-raisers.
While celebrities and high-profile politicians seem unlikely volunteers, Osmond says the time it takes is small in comparison to what he gets back.
"It just takes a second to send an e-mail. It just takes a second to make a difference. It just takes a second to be a mentor," Osmond said Saturday at a fund-raiser for Best Buddies, which received a $5,000 from Operation Kids and Close to my Heart scrapbooking company.
Osmond corresponds via e-mail at least once a week with Hawthorne.
Others, like Brigham Young University sophomore Emily Schneider, get together with their buddies twice a month for an activity such as shopping or boating.
While the program dictates the minimum amount of correspondence, many volunteers find themselves spending a significant of time with their buddies, said Melisa Osmond.
Once a friendship is formed, Osmond said, most volunteers stop seeing the obvious differences in their buddies and start to form common bonds.
"This program really has a lot of heart," said Paul Jones, COO of Operation Kids, the nonprofit organization that helps garner donations for Best Buddies.
Celeste Dean has been paired with several different buddies over the past six years and credits it with helping her become more outgoing.
Dean, a 26-year-old with Down syndrome, talks about "hanging out" with her buddy, like any friend would. "We go out or eat lunch," she said. "It's about making good friendships. And it's fun."
E-mail: jeffh@desnews.com