Golisano Foundation and Special Olympics recognizes honorees

Posted at: 10/18/2012 9:03 PM

The Golisano Foundation makes a significant difference in improving the quality of life and the access to healthcare for those with intellectual disabilities.

On Thursday, the foundation presented leadership awards to six local people who have gone above and beyond to treat the intellectually disabled. Dr. Maricelle Abayon, Dr. Joseph Carbone, Dr. Lisa Delucia, Mary Kate Gedro, Mark Orlando and Amy Pete were this year's honorees.

Paychex found and philanthropist Tom Golisano has been a fierce champion of that effort and recently pledged $12-million to Special Olympics International.

The organization's CEO is Tim Shriver, whose family founded Special Olympics.

"I think the exciting thing about being here in Rochester is, here is a model of a community that has the potential to end that discrimination. Not just to improve, but to end it. I mean my hope today is to challenge this community to be the first community anywhere in the world, that in three, five, seven years from now, you can look at the population with intellectual disabilities, and say their health is the same," Shriver says.

Each of the honorees were presented with a check for $5,000 to be donated to the charitable organization of their choice.

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