Anthony Kennedy Shriver.
Mr. Carlos Slim donates two million dollars to Best Buddies International
Miami, FL, July, 19, 2011
Anthony Kennedy Shriver, founder and president of Best Buddies International, did announce that Mr. Carlos Slim pledged oneself, through Fundación TELMEX, to donate two million dollars to Best Buddies International’s Momentum Campaign.
Best Buddies (www.bestbuddies.org) was founded by Anthony Kennedy Shriver in 1989. It is a non-profit organization being committed to create personal opportunities for impaired persons through friendship bonds, job opportunities and leadership formation.
“I affectionately recall the first meeting I had with Anthony and his indefatigable mother, Mrs. Eunice Kennedy Shriver, about ten years ago in Mexico City”, Mr. Slim said. “I immediately got captivated by his passion in supporting intellectually and physically impaired people. Now I feel very proud and enthusiastic in supporting Best Buddies global and long-term efforts to provide mentors, jobs and leadership training to specially-needed persons. I am very pleased that the present donation will help Best Buddies to achieve its ambitious and significant plans and goals for the coming next years.”
Mr. Slim donation will allow Best Buddies to expand its Mexico’s working plan and enlarge it to other Latin American countries. Through Fundación TELMEX, Mr. Slim has sponsored Best Buddies since its inception in Mexico in 2003.
“Fundación TELMEX, through its Health and Nutrition program, has supported Best Buddies since its inception in Mexico, besides our own efforts to include the impaired into the Mexican society”, said Arturo Elías Ayub, General Director of Fundación TELMEX and member of Best Buddies International Council. Best Buddies Mexico runs a program to create friendship bonds among impaired young people and middle and high educational level students. In 2010 Fundación TELMEX supported 1,660 persons to amount more than 5,000 beneficiaries since 2003. Yet, there are many people in Mexico and Latin America in need of support from us.
The Best Buddies Momentum Campaign did start in 2010 and is aimed to amount 15 million dollars in 2015 to support and expand organizational and technology programs in the United States and abroad.
“I am grateful to Carlos Slim and Arturo Elías historical leadership in supporting our Momentum Campaign”, Mr. Anthony Kennedy Shriver said. “That support will allow us to enlarge our communication with impaired persons in Mexico, besides helping us to create friendship bonds and job programs in other Latin American countries. For many years, Mr. Slim has been a great friend both for me and Best Buddies. I am very happy because of his incredible generosity and his trust for Best Buddies. I hope Carlos Slim’s leadership will encourage others to make donations for us.”
About Best Buddies International
Best Buddies is a non-profit organization aimed to create a global voluntary movement dedicated to encourage and support friendship bonds and job and personal development opportunities for intellectually and physically impaired persons. It was founded by Anthony Kennedy Shriver in 1989. Best Buddies is a dynamic organization which has grown out of a single chapter to have almost 1,500 high, preparatory and university schools all across the world. Currently, Best Buddies run seven formal programs –high school, preparatory, universities, Citizens, e-Buddies, Jobs, and Ambassadors in all of the 50 American states and 50 countries. It has positively impacted almost 700,000 impaired and non-impaired persons in the whole world. By participating in Best Buddies, impaired people get able to access to remunerated jobs, independent life, long-lasting friendship bonds and leadership activities. More information: www.bestbudies.org and www.bestbuddies.org.mx
About Fundación TELMEX
Fundación TELMEX, A. C. was created in 1995. It is a philanthropic, non-profit organization operating in Mexico through four main programs: Education, Health, Justice, and Culture and Human Development. Likewise, it supports victims of natural disasters in Mexico and other Latin American countries. More information: www.fundaciontelmex.org
Those interested in supporting Momentum Campaign, please contact Mr. John M. Carlin: JohnCarlin@BestBuddies.org.