Can-Am Games donates to Special Olympics Pennsylvania at welcome dinner
The Can-Am Police-Fire Games organization made a donation of $2,000 to Special Olympics Pennsylvania during a welcome dinner for the event on Monday, July 15.
Butler County Sheriff Mike Slupe, who is chairman and chief executive officer of the local Can-Am board, said Monday, July 8, the organizers typically make a donation to the community where the games take place. The board selected the Special Olympics because of that organization’s support of first responders, and its involvement with Slippery Rock University.
“There are a lot of charities that support first responders,” Slupe said. “You look at the Special Olympics, its torch run and their connection with first responders. They have all the Special Olympics athletes come to SRU every year where it's great to see them all.”
Jack Cohen, president of the Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau, said the welcome dinner was a private event for members of the Can-Am boards who organized this year’s games. It took place Monday evening at the Tesla BioHealing Wellness Hotel and Resort in Butler Township.
The umbrella organization for the Can-Am Police-Fire Games always makes a donation to the local community where the games take place, and Cohen said the local board will also contribute to the same cause later.
“The agreement isn't just, ‘Will you do this?’ It’s, ‘Thank you for welcoming us into your community,’” he said.
“One of the things we like to do when we come to a host city is continue to support the charity that you have selected and to start the week off right,” said Bill Merrylees, the CEO and president of the Can-Am Police-Fire Games Federation. “We know that this is what Butler is all about — is this real positive event.”
Andrew Fee, the vice president of strategic partnerships for Special Olympics Pennsylvania, said the donation will be put to good use locally.
“The check is going to go toward programming in Southwest PA,” Fee said. “It’s going to stay right here local. We offer year-round programming for ages 8-80 in 24 different sports right now for about 4,000 athletes in Southwest PA.”
Years of work went into the bidding to bring the games to Butler County, organizing the venues and promoting the event, and Cohen said the dinner will be a moment for everyone involved to take it all in.
“In the end, this is an event we really worked hard to get and we were very lucky to get it and now we've got to deliver,” Cohen said.
