Special Olympics and MetLife Foundation, the philanthropic arm of global insurer MetLife, announced a $1.5 million, three year international partnership to expand Special Olympics Young Athletes across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa ("EMEA"). Young Athletes is an inclusive sport and play program for children, ages 2 to 7 years old, with and without intellectual disabilities.
The program develops participants’ basic sport skills, such as running, kicking and throwing. It also offers families, teachers, caregivers and people from the community the opportunity to share the joy of sports and being part of a team.
“Special Olympics and MetLife Foundation have a shared commitment to building strong inclusive communities,” said Special Olympics CEO Mary Davis. “MetLife Foundation’s support of Young Athletes, together with its strong focus on employee engagement, encourages all children, their families and people in their community to promote respect, acceptance and inclusion for people with disabilities.”
Building on the successful activation of MetLife’s Community Week, MetLife employees in its EMEA region will be offered opportunities to volunteer at Young Athletes activities as part of this new partnership. In total, MetLife and MetLife Foundation’s financial and community commitment will help Special Olympics programs in the region to sustainably increase participation numbers to more than 15,000 children over three years. An increase in Young Athletes participation will ensure children will have access to critical early childhood programs and develop motor, social and cognitive skills that will help them be successful in the future. Michel Khalaf, President, MetLife EMEA and MetLife Foundation Board Member, added: “MetLife has a rich tradition of supporting the communities it serves. This partnership builds on our long-standing relationship with Special Olympics and will enable MetLife’s employees to deepen their volunteering experience while helping to establish the Young Athletes initiative across our region”.
