Rochester, NY—May 28, 2020 –The Golisano Foundation announced today that it has awarded $265,500 to ten organizations in Western New York and Southwest Florida in its second round of COVID-19 Response Grants. This brings the Foundation's total COVID-19 Response Grant funding to date to $691,800.
Rochester, NY—May 28, 2020 –The new Golisano Pediatric Behavioral Health & Wellness Center, will be opening soon! A virtual ribbon-cutting will be celebrated on June 18th. "We are all very excited for the opening, said Michael Scharf, Chief of Clinical Service, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. "Behavioral health conditions impact one in five children and adolescents, leading to a variety of forms of suffering, impairment, and at times disability or life threatening situations. Currently only 20 percent of youth with these conditions ever see a mental health professional. Barriers to access, including service capacity, can lead to delays in care and situations worsening to crisis levels. The children and families of our region deserve better."
Rochester, NY—May 14, 2020 –The Golisano Foundation announced today that is has awarded $426,300 in its first round of COVID-19 Response Grants. Now through the end of October 2020, the foundation is redirecting approximately $2 million in grant funding to assist organizations in Western New York and Southwest Florida due to the coronavirus crisis.
The Golisano Institute of Developmental Disability Nursing at St. John Fisher College and the Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) in Dublin, Ireland have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to work together in the field of intellectual disability nursing. This is the second MoU between WIT and Fisher. The signing took place on February 20 at a symposium on Intellectual Disability Nursing held at WIT. Foundation Director Ann Costello participated in the event. Read more
New York, NY --February 11, 2020--With $3,000 and a credit card, Tom Golisano became a billionaire and grew the company he founded, Paychex, to a $30 billion market valuation and more than 670,000 customers. How? By spotting an opportunity that giant established competitors did not: that more money could be made off of the 95% of the payroll services market that are small businesses than the deep-pocketed corporate giants getting chased by everyone else. Now he share his inisght in his first book, Built, Not Born. Read more
Rochester, NY — February 5, 2020 — The Golisano Foundation, Special Olympics, and Best Buddies are joining together to host the first ever Festival of Inclusion on Sunday, March 1. The inspirational day of fun and games is free and will be held at the new Golisano Training Center at Nazareth College, 4245 East Ave in Rochester from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The new event will kick-off the annual Spread the Word Inclusion campaign. Read more
Niagara Falls, New York—November 20, 2019—Niagara will soon have another Golisano Center – one in which lives will be saved. Ann Costello, Director of the Golisano Foundation announced that philanthropist and businessman Tom Golisano is committing $1.5 million to support a new $2 million medical oncology center at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical center to improve access to cancer treatment for people in Niagara County. Read more
Rochester, NY – October 28, 2019 – Ann Costello, Director of the Golisano Foundation presented its prestigious Move to Include Award to Allen Wong, DDS, EdD, DABSCD, on October 28 at the University of Buffalo School of Dental Medicine's Joseph E. Bernat Symposium—Oral Health Care Options for the Population with Intellectual & Development Disabilities. "Dr. Wong is the perfect, most deserving recipient of the Award," said Costello. "His tireless efforts and lifelong work to improve oral health for people with IDD is remarkable, greatly appreciated and a shining example to dentists all over the world." Read more
Rochester, NY—November 7, 2019—The Golisano Foundation announced today that it is launching a new initiative, Bailey and Friends, to support animal welfare for cats and dogs in Western NY and Southwest Florida. A new trust component of the Golisano Foundation, Bailey and Friends will work with shelters, rescue groups, veterinary clinics and other lifesaving programs to promote pet wellness, safety and keeping pets and families together. Read more
Rochester NY––October 21, 2019––Today, Nazareth College, Special Olympics New York, and the Golisano Foundation announced the grand opening of the Golisano Training Center at Nazareth College. The three organizations have partnered to create the first of its kind collaboration of inclusion, fitness, and wellness for athletes of all abilities. Nazareth is poised and ready to be a national model of “Wellness for All” as the only college or university that has ever developed an inclusive training center that levels the playing field for athletes of all abilities and ages. Read more
Syracuse, NY – September 27, 2019 – The Upstate Foundation announced today a gift of $3 million from Paychex founder and philanthropist Tom Golisano to establish the Golisano Center for Special Needs at Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital. The center will provide comprehensive, coordinated and scientifically based medical and behavioral care for children and adolescents with all types of intellectual and developmental disabilities. The center will act as the umbrella, creating a framework to increase collaboration resulting in better patient care. The announcement was made by Golisano Foundation Executive Director Ann Costello at the hospital's 10th birthday celebration. Read more
Rochester, NY – September 20, 2019 – Public television station WXXI announced today that it will lead a pilot project to expand its innovative Move to Include project to promote inclusion in five new communities across the country. Funded by a $645,000 grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), this 16-month project will scale up the multimedia initiative, developed by WXXI and the Golisano Foundation that combines content production, curation, and engagement to encourage dialogue about disability issues. Read more
Rocheester, NY – September 12, 2019 – Following two years of planning and construction, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held today to officially open the new Golisano Autism Center. The innovative one-stop autism hub offers a multitude of educational, social, recreational, and therapeutic supports and services for children and adults. Open 12 hours daily, seven days a week, the Center is a collaborative community of more than fourteen autism service providers, led by founding partners Al Sigl Community of Agencies, AutismUp, and CP Rochester. The new 33,000 sq. ft. building is named for Tom Golisano who along with the Foundation donated $3 million toward the launching of the Center in May 2017. Read more
Ft. Lauderdale, FL – September 12, 2019 – Tom Golisano, Chairman of the Golisano Foundation and Paychex, donated the use of his yacht Laurel earlier this week to transport 30 tons of supplies including water, food, and sanitation kits, from Nassau to Freeport, and to rescue dogs following the destruction caused by Hurricane Dorian. The rescue effort was conducted Sep 6, 7 and 8th organized by Yacht Aid Global. Read more
Rochester, NY – August 29, 2019 – Roberts Wesleyan College announced today that it has received a gift of $7.5 million from Paychex founder and philanthropist Tom Golisano to build an innovative new Community Engagement Center. The 25,000-square-foot two-story, center will serve as a hub for connection, community interaction and student life resources, as well as a workplace for Roberts’ growing custom training and education programs. Read more
Rochester, NY – August 15, 2019 – Ann Costello visited Kenya in August(13-15) to see the progress of Special Olympics Healthy Communities initiative, which is expanding access to inclusive health for people around the world with intellectual disabilities. Healthy Communities builds on Special Olympics successful Healthy Athletes program focusing on year-round access to health care and wellness. It was launched in 2012 and expanded in 2015 with gifts of $37 million from Tom Golisano and has improved the health of people in Kenya with intellectual disabilities. Read more
Rochester, NY – May 2019 – Ann Costello, Director of the Golisano Foundation presented the Foundation’s 2019 Move to Include Award to Dr. Matthew Holder, an international leader in the care of individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD).The Move to Include award was presented at this year’s annual American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry’s (AADMD) One Voice Igniting Change Conference, which was held in Rochester, NY. Read more
Rochester, NY – March 25, 2019 – A ground breaking for the new Golisano Autism Center and the UR Medicine’s Golisano Pediatric Behavioral Health & Wellness Building will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon, Friday, March 29 on the Al Sigl Schwartz Family Campus. Read more
Abu Dhabi, UAE – March 13, 2019 – The Golisano Foundation and Special Olympics honored seven healthcare organizations and professionals who are on the frontlines of bringing essential and often unprecedented health care services to the most marginalized people on earth, those with intellectual disabilities (ID). Read more
ABU DHABI, UAE – March 13, 2019 – Prior to the official opening of the Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi 2019 on 14 March, Special Olympics will host a Global Inclusive Health Forum on 13 March. Over 100 global health leaders will come together to ensure community health workers are adequately equipped with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to provide quality health care for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID). Participants at the Global Inclusive Health Forum will discuss strategies and good practices and make commitments to fund and support training 10,000 community public health workers from 20 developing nations over the next 3-5 years. Read more
Rochester, NY – March 7, 2019 – Ann Costello, Director of the Golisano Foundation, will address the Global Inclusive Health Forum at the 2019 Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi on March 13 and present the 2019 Golisano Global Heath Leadership Awards to seven honorees. The Forum and Awards will be held March 13 from 9 am.- 12 p.m. (Abu Dhabi time or 1 a.m. - 4 a.m. EST March 13) at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. A press release announcing the honorees will be sent out immediately following the presentation Read more
Rochester, NY––February 2019––The Golisano Foundation is once again joining Special Olympics and Best Buddies to Spread the Word. Exclusion and discrimination continue to divide people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities. We are changing that with grass roots action for inclusion - Spread the Word. Read more
Rochester, NY – February, 2019 – The American Association of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry's (AADMD) annual One Voice Conference will be held in Rochester New York, May 10-12, 2019 bringing business leaders and intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) professionals together to ignite change. Read more
Rochester, NY – February 14, 2019 – Special Olympics NY and the Golisano Foundation announced a $265,000 grant to support the expansion of Unified Champion School (UCS) programming in the Western, Genesee, and Central New York regions over the next three years. This comprehensive three-component model combines Unified Sports, Inclusive Youth Leadership, and Whole School Engagement to create school and community climates of acceptance and inclusion. Read more
