PROFILES IN GIVING: THE LYNCH FOUNDATION

What does it mean to be a fan of generosity? It means recognizing the enormous impact even the smallest act of selflessness has on the life of another. Whether it be coaches, volunteers, or individual donors giving their time, talent or treasure – Special Olympics thrives on the generosity of others.

Carolyn and Peter Lynch used their personal connection to Special Olympics and deep ties to the state of Massachusetts as inspiration to the launch an innovative program to give future athletes a head start.  Learn more about the Young Athletes program.

On June 15, 2009, Carolyn and Peter Lynch sent a two-page handwritten letter to Special Olympics Founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who was in poor health. They said, in part:

A resource that was being wasted, and in many cases restrained and denigrated, has been allowed to prosper; and the benefit will grow and grow in the future because of what you have put in motion.

The Boston-based Lynches have been active with Special Olympics since the early 1990s. Peter, former vice-chairman of Fidelity Management & Research Company, was an active member of the Special Olympics International Board for a number of years, and the couple co-chaired (with Jean and Steve Case) the successful Campaign for Special Olympics in the early 2000s. Their three daughters have actively volunteered at Special Olympics World Summer Games, and the family’s Lynch Foundation has been a generous supporter of Special Olympics.

In recent years, the Lynches’ dedication and generosity has enabled Special Olympics Massachusetts (SOMA) to launch a Young Athletes™ pilot program that has flourished beyond expectations. With Special Olympics’ main programs open to ages 8 and up, Young Athletes introduces Special Olympics to children ages 3-7 and their families. Its two-level program develops fundamental motor, tracking and eye-hand coordination, and then applies them to sports skills and to preparation for Special Olympics.

The Lynches' interest in Young Athletes™ began when they attended a demonstration, which Carolyn watched not only as an ardent Special Olympics supporter but also as a physical therapist with years of experience helping children who had severe disabilities. With The Lynch Foundation focused mainly on giving in and around Boston, and with early education being one of its priority focus areas, the decision was made to support the fledgling program. “Young Athletes just makes sense,” says Katie Everett, executive director of The Lynch Foundation. “The younger the kids start, the better they are. It gives them something to look forward to and get involved with, and it makes them stronger.”

Thanks to the Lynch’s support, the response to SOMA’s Young Athletes program has been phenomenal. In 2007, it began with 460 athletes in Boston and Malden, a smaller nearby city. For 2008, the goal was to develop programs at 10 schools in eight cities or towns in Massachusetts. SOMA surged past those goals, bringing Young Athletes to 13 schools in 10 cities or towns, serving 1,497 children with intellectual disabilities and their families. What’s more, the programs in Boston, Malden and Brockton are now unified, making them among the first to bring together young children with and without intellectual disabilities.

SOMA’s Young Athletes pilot program proved what the Lynches and Special Olympics knew all along – that early-childhood involvement in Special Olympics is something families eagerly want, and that its developmental benefits are significant. Thanks to the success of the Massachusetts Young Athletes program and the lessons learned in fully implementing it, Special Olympics now has a model that can be implemented in programs throughout the US and the world.

This level of growth and service would not have been possible without the generous commitment of money, time and spirit that the Lynch family and The Lynch Foundation have given to Special Olympics and Young Athletes. We are grateful for the many ways in which they continue to show their belief in our mission. As Peter Lynch has said, “It is the Special Olympics athletes’ ability to deliver and exceed everyone’s expectations, including my own--that impresses me most.”