Special Olympics gets corporate boost
(L-R) Rod McDowall of Red Sail Sports hands over check to Adrian Lynch of Special Olympics
(CNS Local Life): Special Olympics Cayman Islands (SOCI) has received three years of sponsorship totalling $45,000 from the Red Sail Group, which extends its support through 2020 at $15,000 annually. Red Sail Group first became a SOCI corporate partner in 2015, contributing funds towards the nonprofit’s annual operating budget, though as an individual company, it has been a long-time supporter of the organisation.
SOCI is mostly volunteer-driven, and sponsorships like this are vital for its operation, stated a press release. “This sponsorship allows us to run our programmes on a day-to-day basis to prepare our athletes for local and regional competitions throughout the year,” said SOCI board nember Toni Johnson. “For instance, buses need to be coordinated to get them to training sessions and right equipment must be purchased.”
There are 120 active athletes enrolled in the Special Olympics programme, and they compete in track and field, aquatics, bocce, basketball, football, standup paddle-boarding and golf. Corporate partnerships support the training to make sure the athletes are ready for the competitions, especially the next major one, the Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi in March 2019.
In addition to supporting Special Olympics Cayman Islands with a corporate sponsorship, the Red Sail Group also offers job opportunities for some of the SOCI athletes.
“Red Sail Sports and their affiliated companies have been very generous to us for a very long time and we are very grateful,” said Johnson. “The commitment is not just in dollars, but also in time as Red Sail Sports employees volunteer at our events, like the Annual Healthy Athletes Fair and National Games.”
Red Sail Sports operations manager Rod McDowall said the group of companies “is very proud to be able to partner with the Special Olympics Cayman Islands, and it is our privilege to work with such a great organisation, its caring board members, volunteers and athletes”.
For more information on Special Olympics Cayman Islands, call 946-7624 or email SOCI
