Event Date: 19 June 2023 | Time: 9:00 - 10:30AM | Place: Hilton Berlin | Media is Invited to Attend
Berlin, Germany – Join Special Olympics on 19 June 2023 for the 2023 Global Golisano Health Leadership Awards—a groundbreaking platform that inspires leaders in health, policy, education, business, and sports to foster partnerships that propel the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities.
Hosting these awards during the Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023 emphasizes the urgency of addressing health equity for people with intellectual disabilities on a global stage. The awards showcase the impactful work of Special Olympics and the Golisano Foundation to surmount the healthcare barriers faced by people with intellectual disabilities worldwide, and push for more collaboration with public and private partners—critical to meeting this challenge.
Alongside awardees and their inspiring stories, the event will feature several distinguished speakers including an opening address by Jürgen Dusel, Germany’s Commissioner for Matters relating to Persons with Disabilities, welcome remarks by Special Olympics athlete Health Messenger Mr. Nyasha Derera, and a musical celebration by Special Olympics athlete Renee Manfredi.
These are this year's Global Golisano Health Leadership Awards Recipients:
- Dr. Hafizur Rahman (Bangladesh) supports athletes by facilitating healthcare access, training professionals, and empowering families.
- Dr. Georgina Toro (Chile) expands dental care access for Special Olympics athletes through university and medical partnerships.
- Dr. Lin-Chung Woung (Chinese Taipei) drives inclusive health with health insurance agreements, partnerships, and health promotion events.
- Dr. Imke Kaschke (Germany) champions inclusive health in Germany through screenings, training, and policy changes.
- The Kenya Medical Training College (Kenya) educates 85% of the nation’s healthcare workforce and is integrating intellectual disability training and expanding healthcare access through their work.
- Abu Dhabi Public Health Center (United Arab Emirates) is committed to addressing health barriers faced by people with intellectual disabilities, offers free health exams, and leads unified healthcare trainings for universities, hospitals, government agencies and NGOs.
- Dr. David Jenkins (United States of America) advances inclusive health through education, training, and research. He has trained hundreds of students, certified 50 global Fit Feet Clinical Directors, and expanded health services for people with intellectual disabilities.
Established in 2017, and honored for the fourth time in 2023, the Global Golisano Health Leadership Awards are the highest Special Olympics honor for health partners, recognizing their commitment to fulfilling the goals, values, and mission of Special Olympics Health. The awards are a testament to the powerful partnership between Tom Golisano, the Golisano Foundation and Special Olympics Health that has, over the past decade, made a significant impact on the lives and health of people with intellectual disabilities worldwide.
For more information on the awards and recipients, please visit https://specialolympics.org/what-we-do/inclusive-health/golisano-health-leadership-awards/the-2023-global-golisano-health-leadership-awards. We invite you to join us in celebrating these inspiring champions of health equity and inclusion at the Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023.
Media Access and Contact
Lilia Carasciuc Director, Global Health Communication RSVP via email lcarasciuc@specialolympics.org +1 202 830 5953
Please direct interview requests for award recipients and for Annemarie Hill, Special Olympics Senior Vice President, Global Health Operations to Lilia Carasciuc.
Video and Photos
Photos from the Global Golisano Health Leadership Awards will be uploaded to this folder:https://specialolympics.photoshelter.com/galleries/C0000E97C40XvLkI/2023-Global-Golisano-Health-Leadership-Awards
A full video of the event is available on request.
About Special Olympics
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 and Unified Sports partners, over one million coaches and volunteers in 212 Programs, including 148 countries, 13 territories, 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, Special Olympics delivers more than 30 Olympic-type sports and over 100,000 games and competitions every year. Engage with us on: Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok. Follow #InclusiveHealth Learn more at www.SpecialOlympics.org.
About Tom Golisano and the Golisano Foundation
Tom Golisano—entrepreneur, philanthropist, and civic leader—is the founder of Paychex, Inc., the United States’ largest human resource company for small to medium-sized businesses, providing integrated human capital management solutions for payroll, benefits, human resources, and insurance services for more than 730,000 clients in the U.S. and Northern Europe. Mr. Golisano’s vision, perseverance, and action have left an indelible mark on a broad spectrum of issues - in business, healthcare, education, voter policies, politics, and tax reform. His continuing investments are helping drive the success of numerous businesses and start-ups. His personal philanthropic contributions to hospitals—including three children’s hospitals that bear his name—and numerous educational institutions and other organizations exceed $330 million. He has dedicated more than $95 million to advancing inclusive health around the world, including $67 million to Special Olympics, helping to close the significant gap in access to care for people with intellectual disabilities.
A fierce advocate for dignity and inclusion, in 1985 Tom Golisano applied his pioneering spirit to establish the Golisano Foundation to make the world a better place for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. With more than $60 million in gross assets, it is one of the largest private foundations in the U.S. devoted to supporting programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities awarding about $3 million annually to non-profit organizations in Western New York & New York’s Finger Lakes Region and Southwest Florida.
Connect with us at Golisanofoundation.org @GolisanoFdn @ThomasGolisano
