Insurance for Special Olympics Maine club
Team J. Edwards Knight at last year’s Boothbay Cornhole Classic. Courtesy photo
Team Freeze for Special Olympics Maine. Courtesy photo
Team J. Edwards Knight at last year’s Boothbay Cornhole Classic. Courtesy photo
Team Freeze for Special Olympics Maine. Courtesy photo
Liberty Mutual and Safeco Insurance have awarded J. Edward Knight a 2023 Make More Happen Award for its volunteerism with Special Olympics Maine and their new Unified Champion Club. This nonprofit organization is dedicated to promoting social inclusion through shared sports training and competition experiences by joining people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same playing field. The award includes an initial donation of $5,000 for Special Olympics Maine Unified Champion Club, which can be doubled to $10,000 just by having community supporters vote online.
Starting Monday, June 5, the J. Edward Knight and Special Olympics Maine Unified Champion Club community giving story will be highlighted on the official Make More Happen microsite at www.agentgiving.com/J-Edward-Knight where supporters can vote to help the team reach their donation goal. If the featured story receives a mix of at least 500 votes and comments, the $5,000 donation will be raised to $10,000. The awarded funds will support participation fees for athletes and sponsor community positions to coordinate volunteer efforts.
“I’ve been involved with Special Olympics Maine for decades now, so I was really interested in this newer initiative. The Unified Champion Club creates inclusive opportunities through recreational sports and activities in a community setting for Special Olympics Maine athletes while adding additional ongoing training with volunteers,” said Robert Wheeler, president of J. Edward Knight. “We are grateful to Liberty Mutual and Safeco for providing much-needed funds to continue their impactful work and thrilled at the opportunity to double the donation just by calling on the community to show their support.”
Wheeler and his agency team play an active role in introducing the new Unified Champion Club program to the state of Maine by assisting in fundraising and recruiting local businesses to spread awareness. This year, the agency is sponsoring several teams for Maine’s Boothbay Cornhole Classic in support of Special Olympics Maine and having Special Olympic athletes participate across all agency teams. J. Edward Knight values inclusion and is always discovering new ways for the athletes to be team players.
“J. Edward Knight is a shining example of our independent agents’ endless dedication to their nonprofit partners through their volunteering, fundraising and overall awareness efforts,” said Stephanie Davis, Safeco Insurance Northeast Region Senior Territory Manager. “The Make More Happen Awards allow our agents to spread the word about their good deeds and we hope it inspires other in Portland to get involved.”
Throughout 2023, Liberty Mutual and Safeco Insurance will select up to 37 independent agents nationwide for a Make More Happen Award donating up to $370,000 to the nonprofits they support. Agencies became eligible for the award by submitting an application and photos demonstrating their commitment to a specific nonprofit.
