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Dubai, UAE: Special Olympics announced that it has received its largest single private gift in the organization's 53-year history. Tom Golisano, Paychex founder, philanthropist and father of a son with an intellectual disability, will provide $30 million, his third major gift to Special Olympics, to expand the Special Olympics Healthy Communities program, which provides health services globally for people with intellectual disabilities (ID), a population that has been critically underserved, especially during the pandemic.
Ayman Abdel Wahab, Regional President, and Managing Director, Special Olympics Middle East/ North Africa, shared his appreciation for the Golisano gift. He said, "We are honored to receive the funding from Golisano Foundation. In the Middle East/ North Africa, consistently over the years, the sports performance of our athletes has shown significant improvement because of the strong focus on building healthy communities. Health programs are the driving force of the inclusion revolution. With an increase in fitness, active lifestyles, and social, physical, and emotional well-being, our athletes become the best version of themselves."
The pandemic magnified how people with intellectual disabilities historically have not been seen as a priority for access to equitable health care.
Over the next five years, Special Olympics will move the world closer to inclusion in health care for people with intellectual disabilities through multiple key strategic actions including:
- Reaching three million in-person and virtual health screenings in over 100 countries and ensuring follow-up care is received.
- Improving the overall health and fitness of 600,000 athletes.
- Reaching 650,000 young children with intellectual disabilities and their families to provide them with early intervention services to enable them to walk, run, skip and play earlier.
- Creating the Golisano Virtual University to provide training to 100,000 more health care professionals enabling them to treat people with intellectual disabilities.
- Creating the first-ever Global Report on the Health of People with Intellectual Disabilities – this report will evaluate disparities across health systems to develop inclusive policies and practices in target countries.
Since 2012, Tom Golisano and his foundation have prioritized the health needs of people with ID, donating previous gifts totaling $37 million to help achieve health equity for people with ID all over the world, beginning with the launch of Special Olympics Healthy Communities.
“Special Olympics’ impact on the health of people with ID is impressive – as is its strategy on how to build on this success over the next several years. The focus on measurement, standardization of practices, early diagnosis, a trained workforce, and health systems that demonstrate inclusive policies, will effectively position Special Olympics to further our mutual goal of health equity.” - said Golisano.
“Over the last decade, Tom's commitment of $67 million has helped us expand our health programming from local and regional health services, to now over 120 Healthy Communities,” said Dr. Timothy Shriver, Chairman, Special Olympics. “Tom and Foundation Executive Director Ann Costello have been visionaries in reducing health disparities and improving the quality of life for people with different abilities.”
Special Olympics has provided 2.5 million free health screenings in 146 countries and trained nearly 350,000 healthcare professionals. The organization is investing in a life-span approach, serving as health partners for every person with an intellectual disability throughout their life. More than 150,000 health care providers have been trained in 60 countries and 130 health professional schools now have inclusive health curricula to train students on intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics has also partnered with many organizations, including foundations, governments, universities, and philanthropists to contribute to Healthy Communities programming.
About Special Olympics MENA
Founded in 1968, Special Olympics is a global movement to end discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities. We foster acceptance of all people through the power of sport and programming in education, health, and leadership. With more than six million athletes globally and Unified Sports® partners in over 190 countries and territories and more than one million coaches and volunteers, Special Olympics delivers more than 30 Olympic-type sports and over 100,000 games and competitions every year. Special Olympics Middle East/ North Africa is one of the seven regional offices of Special Olympics International. Since 1999, Special Olympics MENA has been a pioneer in leading the way to integrate athletes with intellectual disabilities in the community through inclusion and the power of sports in the region. Engage with us on: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter.
https://www.specialolympics.org/
About Tom Golisano and the Golisano Foundation
Tom Golisano entrepreneur, philanthropist, and civic leader is the founder and chairman of the board of Paychex, Inc., a leading national provider of payroll, human resource, and benefit outsourcing solutions with more than 14,000 employees and 100 office locations nationwide serving more than a half-million small and medium-sized businesses. Tom’s vision, perseverance, and action have left an indelible mark on a broad spectrum of issues that touch our lives – in business, healthcare, education, voter policies, politics, and tax reform. His personal philanthropic contributions to hospitals, educational institutions, and other organizations exceed $330 million. A fierce advocate for dignity and inclusion, Tom Golisano applied his pioneering spirit to establish the Golisano Foundation to help make the world a better place for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Founded in 1985, the Golisano Foundation is now one of the largest private foundations in the United States devoted exclusively to supporting programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. With $45 million in gross assets, it awards more than $2 million in grants annually “Imagining the Possibilities,” advocating for families, fighting for their dignity, and giving people with IDD the opportunity to thrive in their communities.
© Press Release 2021
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