Special Olympics athlete Carl Williams competed at the Special Olympics USA Games in 2022

Celebrating Special Olympics

Bank of America is a long-standing partner of Special Olympics. For over 40 years, the organizations have collaborated to support athlete leadership and empowerment on the field, while providing opportunities for economic advancement off the field.

As part of this ongoing commitment, Bank of America served as the official Bank of the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games, which were held from June 5-12 in Orlando, Florida. Bank of America employee, Carl Williams, competed in tennis during the Games and was one of more than 5,500 participating athletes.

Get to know athlete and Bank of America employee, Carl

Carl Williams has been with Bank of America for over 30 years, holding several different roles throughout his tenure. He’s worked within the Research Department, Billing Department, on the Support Services team, and most recently, works on the Warehouse Fulfillment team.

Carl is also a passionate athlete. He first became involved with Special Olympics through the Benedictine School in Ridgely, Maryland, which offers education programs and services for individuals with disabilities. He has participated in Special Olympics for over 15 years, with basketball and tennis being his favorite sports of the Games. In fact, one of his favorite memories is winning the 1993 Special Olympics basketball championship at Glasgow High School in Newark, Delaware.

Carl is also incredibly involved off the field. In 2015, he served as a Bank of America employee reporter covering the Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles, allowing him to learn more about how other athletes train for their sports. He also served on the leadership board for Special Olympics Delaware, meeting with other members monthly.

Carl’s advice to other Special Olympics athletes? “Enjoy yourself during this exciting experience.”

Bank of America’s partnership with Special Olympics

Special Olympics uses the transformative power of sports to show that when we embrace inclusion, there is no limit to what we can achieve together, both on and off the playing field.

The Bank has proudly partnered with Special Olympics for over 40 years, supporting both Athlete Leadership and Unified Leadership. Additionally, Bank of America employees volunteer with Special Olympics programs across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and East Asia. This includes volunteering at Special Olympics Games properties, Leadership programming, the Disability Action Network, and Better Money Habits employee-led training. Learn more about Bank of America’s volunteer efforts.

In 2022, Bank of America announced a three-year, $5 million grant to Special Olympics to expand and develop leadership programs in urban school districts that address disparities faced by individuals with intellectual disabilities. A cornerstone of this work included engaging the families of youth with intellectual disabilities, understanding that decades of research show that making family members active partners in education boosts student achievement - both in school and after graduation. With Bank of America’s support, Special Olympics conducted research to create a powerful family engagement toolkit, supporting the communities of Arizona, Tennessee, Florida, North Carolina, New York and Ohio.