Special Olympics Chairman of the Board Timothy Shriver, took the opportunity to thank Tom Golisano and the Golisano Foundation for the generous gift of $30 million to support the Special Olympics Healthy Communities program.
The gift is the single largest, private contribution made in the history of the Special Olympics organization and marks the third time that Tom Golisano has supported the organization in this way.
“By investing in our Healthy Communities, Mr. Golisano will allow us to expand to hundreds of new domestic and global regions,” said Dr. Alicia Bazzano, Special Olympics Chief Health Officer. “This new gift comes at a critical time for our global community as we have seen during this pandemic just how little this population has been prioritized.”
Over the years, Special Olympics and the Golisano Foundation have teamed up to bring inclusive health to athletes around the world. People with intellectual disabilities die 16 to 20 years sooner than the general population from preventable health conditions. The partnership has made health care more equitable for this vulnerable population, giving them access to health screenings, physician referrals and fitness training.
