Best Buddies Challenge

Football was the game played at Harvard Stadium Friday night, but friendship was the goal - that is the real mission of Best Buddies.

Tom Brady entered the stadium to a round of cheers as he kicked off this year's Best Buddies Tom Brady Football Challenge, an annual event to raise money for Best Buddies' mission to provide opportunities and friendship to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

A lot of celebrities took the field, including two of Brady's teammates, Julian Edelman and Canny Amendola.

"This is one of my favorite ones because we can get out here and play a little football," Amendola said. "The kids really enjoy it, it lights their day up. I love seeing them score touchdowns and catch passes, so it's a lot of fun."

Tedy Bruschi got back on the field.

E! host and Patriots fan Maria Menounos admitted she cut her vacation short to come to this event, but the pass Brady threw her was incomplete.

"I dropped a bunny. I didn't catch it," she said. "It was there for me. I'm embarrassed."

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker's wife, Laurie, did make a catch off Brady.

"I caught a pass from Tom Brady," she said proudly.

"It was like a 50 yarder," the governor said. "It was beautiful."

The game kicked off a whole weekend of fun for the organization. Saturday, hundreds of cyclists will ride from Boston to Hyannisport to continue their fundraising efforts.

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