A $25 million gift from billionaire philanthropist Tom Golisano announced Friday moves the Mary Cariola Center closer to its long-term vision of a new, unified school campus.
The nonprofit operates a school and residential group homes for people with disabilities in the Rochester area.
“The gift from Mr. Golisano is just life-changing for Cariola," said Karen Zandi, president and CEO of the center.
The Cariola school today is on three campuses — two rented sites in Rochester, and another in Brighton — enrolling 450 students from 58 school districts and 11 counties. The goal is to own, consolidate and build new, with a space tailored specifically to their needs.
“So that's a long-term vision, but ... it's expensive,” Zandi said, “and it's going to take some time and planning.
“We have a team that's working on this internally,” she said, “and this really launches our project forward. Given that this is just fresh news, we will revisit our timetable, and I hope to have one to share with the community soon. But we need a minute to celebrate and catch our breath and then reassess."
The goal is to remain in Monroe County. The new space, officials said, “will allow for enhanced therapies, advanced technology, sensory-supportive environments, clinical and medical services, social work support, and flexible classrooms designed for students with a wide range of abilities and medical profiles.”
That means larger classrooms, more therapy rooms and clinical spaces, improved technology and opportunities for inclusion, recreation and adaptive physical education, and spaces tailored to mobility, sensory and behavioral needs.
“This is not just an investment in property or a building,” Golisano said in the release announcing the $25 million gift. “It’s an investment in people and the belief that every child has potential and deserves the opportunity to succeed.”
Golisano teased the gift to Mary Cariola last September during a flurry of awards to upstate nonprofits. At that time, it was flagged as a “future announcement.”
“That means we’ve got a project going on with Mary Cariola, so we won't be affixing anything to it today,” the Paychex founder said at the time. And Mary Cariola posted on social media about ongoing discussions with the Golisano Foundation about “some of our space needs.”
Zandi was in the room that day. Golisano had not told the invitees what to expect.
"If you had seen where I was, I stood up, I sat down, I stood up, I sat back down, because I thought, I don't know what's going to happen here,” Zandi said, explaining that Mary Cariola officials have been in discussion with Golisano for a couple of years. "He likes to know what we're all doing, and has been very connected and really philanthropic to people, especially the disabilities field.”
Golisano has now given away $470 million of his personal wealth over the past year; more than $1 billion during his lifetime.
Formed in 1949, Mary Cariola Center’s programs integrate education, medical care and therapies along with behavior support, social work and family services, nutrition and specialized assistive technology. The center is a WXXI underwriter.
This story is reported from WXXI’s Inclusion Desk.
