FDBusiness.com

Kerry Group has announced details of a two year partnership with Special Olympics that will include support for the 2019 Special Olympics Summer World Games in Abu Dhabi. As an Official Sponsor of Special Olympics, this new partnership will provide both organisations many opportunities to work better together to create more inclusive communities.

Harnessing the Kerry spirit of opportunity, the programme will focus on three areas; employee volunteering, employee fundraising and support for Special Olympics’ athlete leadership programme. The partnership will initially involve Kerry employees from Ireland, Great Britain, Netherlands and Poland, with Kerry employees from across the globe having opportunities to get involved in supporting Special Olympics.

Commenting on the announcement, Edmond Scanlon, CEO of Kerry Group, said: “As the world’s largest Taste and Nutrition company and a major consumer foods organisation, we are committed to supporting the local communities in which we operate in. Special Olympics has been working in the community supporting people with an intellectual disability for nearly 50 years and I am delighted to have this opportunity to work closely with them and their wide network of athletes, families and volunteers. It is an organisation that has successfully opened the hearts and minds of the world to people with intellectual disabilities and created inclusive communities all over the world, and we look forward to working with them in several areas of our business over the next two years.”

Commenting on the partnership, Mary Davis, CEO of Special Olympics International said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Kerry Group for the next two years in Ireland, Great Britain, Netherlands and Poland.  Kerry Group is an ideal partner for Special Olympics, as the organisation’s DNA very much focuses on championing the rights and equality for all individuals.  As our athletes face immense challenges in their everyday lives, we are delighted that Kerry is taking up the challenge of inclusion, through this partnership.  With the support of Kerry Group’s employees through fundraising and volunteering time, we know this partnership will have an immense impact on our athletes and our programmes.  On behalf of Special Olympics, I want to thank Kerry Group for partnering with us and we look forward to a very fruitful and successful partnership.”

Over the next two years, many of Kerry Group’s 24,000 employees will volunteer in Special Olympics programmes, which will include a mix of event-based volunteering and ongoing skill-based opportunities. National and internal fundraising initiatives will be arranged to support the team of athletes and volunteers who will attend the 2019 Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi.

Kerry Group will also support the Special Olympics’ Athlete Leadership programme. This will have a number of different elements including; supporting athletes through workshop and mentoring programmes and supporting the development of workplace and leadership skills.

In addition, as one of the world’s leading food companies Kerry will also look to explore the area of nutrition and how it could benefit the athletes during the partnership.

A number of events have already been arranged including:

• Volunteer support at the 2018 Special Olympics Ireland Games (14^th-17^th June), Special Olympics Great Britain Anniversary Games 2018, Stirling (9^th – 13^th August), Poland (9^th – 12^thJune) and The Netherlands (8^th – 10^th June)
• Annual Collection Day, April, Ireland
• Supporting local Special Olympics Clubs in all activation markets
• Numerous local fundraising events in all markets.

CAPTION:

Pictured (left to right): Mary Davis, Chief Executive Officer, Special Olympics International; Marion McKeon, Naas Special Olympics; and Edmond Scanlon, Chief Executive, Kerry Group.