Team BMS Moves for Minutes to Benefit Special Olympics
$1 million donation to Special Olympics supports mission of building a more inclusive world
Bristol Myers Squibb will donate $1 million to Special Olympics as part of the company’s global workforce charity event, BMS for Community. During the event, employees, their families and patients came together to move for minutes in any way that felt most comfortable, with the goal of supporting Special Olympics in its efforts to build a world celebrating people of all abilities.
And there was no shortage of minutes moved.
Colleagues across the globe were dedicated to the cause, whether by volunteering at a shelter, going for a bicycle ride, or kayaking on a local river. Over five days, from September 23 to 27, as part of this year’s Global Patient Week event, participants achieved more than 3 million minutes, surpassing the nearly 3 million minutes moved during the inaugural BMS for Community event last year.
“Patients are at the center of everything we do, and there is no better time to reaffirm our commitment and support the communities and neighborhoods where we work and live than during Global Patient Week,” said Chris Boerner, executive vice president, chief commercialization officer, Bristol Myers Squibb.
Making a positive impact on global communities
BMS for Community began last year as part of the company’s Global Patient Week, an important time when the company pauses to celebrate and honor patients.
This year’s event built on the momentum of the 2020 event, in which participants logged nearly 3 million minutes of movement and donated to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the American Red Cross, who were on the frontlines of COVID-19 relief efforts worldwide.
As Global Patient Week 2021 approached, Bristol Myers Squibb looked to support a global organization that positively impacts communities around the world. Acceptance and inclusion are core values to Bristol Myers Squibb and are the focus of its People and Business Resource Groups (PBRGs), including DAWN, the Differently Abled Workplace Network. Special Olympics, as champions of acceptance and inclusion, echoes many of those core values.
“I was especially excited to be participating with my BMS colleagues around the world to support such a great organization,” said Bristol Myers Squibb employee Renee Randazzo, senior director, R&ED Cross-Portfolio Strategic Integration, who took part in BMS for Community. “On a personal note, I have seen firsthand the positive impact Special Olympics programs have had on my own family.”
Many ways to move
Across the globe, employees joined with their friends and families to tackle the challenge. There were volunteers, cyclists, hikers, runners, walkers, and all manner of creative movers among the group.
Top of mind for all was the impact their contributions would have on Special Olympics, which aims to create a world of inclusion and community, where every single person is accepted and welcomed.
"The perception of people with intellectual disabilities is that they can't do what others can,” said Kelli Seely, chief communications, marketing, and development officer, Special Olympics. “With this event, we worked together to defy expectations by showing how movement by people of all abilities can truly make a difference."
