FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Special Olympics Massachusetts and the New England Revolution, in partnership with Arbella Insurance, announced the signing of 12 Special Olympics Massachusetts athletes and Unified Sports® partners to the 2021 New England Revolution Unified Team. Now in its seventh season, the Revolution Unified Team’s mission is to leverage the power of sports to promote an environment of inclusion and friendly competition.
As the club’s longstanding partner in support of the Revolution Unified Team, Arbella Insurance is donating $35,000 to Special Olympics Massachusetts. Representatives from Arbella will be on hand Wednesday night at Gillette Stadium to present Special Olympics Massachusetts with the donation. The 2021 Revolution Unified Team will also be recognized as the Heroes of the Match on Wednesday night.
“We are thrilled to join together with Special Olympics Massachusetts and Arbella Insurance to celebrate the seventh year of the New England Revolution Unified Team,” Revolution President Brian Bilello said. “The Revolution take tremendous pride in welcoming these talented and inspiring athletes and Unified Sports partners to our club. We look forward to seeing the Revs Unified Team back on the Gillette Stadium pitch in September.”
The 12 members of the 2021 Revolution Unified Team, all of whom reside in Massachusetts, signed their contracts on Tuesday afternoon at Gillette Stadium as they were welcomed to the club by President of Kraft Family Philanthropies Josh Kraft, Revolution Sporting Director & Head Coach Bruce Arena, and Revolution President Brian Bilello. Play Unified soccer returns to the Gillette Stadium pitch on Saturday, Sept. 18 when the Revolution Unified Team hosts the Andover Stars Unified Team following New England’s MLS match against the Columbus Crew.
“After a year away from the pitch, we are excited to be back in Foxboro celebrating inclusion through soccer. Special Olympics Massachusetts is so thankful to the New England Revolution for sticking with us throughout the past 18 months and working diligently to bring a Revs Unified Team to Gillette in 2021,” said Mary Beth McMahon, President and CEO of Special Olympics Massachusetts. “And to our dedicated partner, Arbella Insurance, who have stepped up time and time again, thank you for your sponsorship of this year’s Unified Team and season. The Special Olympics Athletes, Unified Partners, and coaching staff are thrilled to be able to showcase their skills in front of the Fort again this September.”
“For more than a decade, Arbella Insurance and Special Olympics Massachusetts have worked together to support local athletes in communities throughout the state,” said Gayle O’Connell, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Arbella Insurance. “We are extremely proud of the opportunities SOMA provides and their commitment to individuals with intellectual disabilities. We’re thrilled to present this donation in support of the Unified Sports program and to continue our lasting partnership.”
2021 Revolution Unified Team Roster
Special Olympics Massachusetts Athletes:
Shawn Barton Stoughton, Mass.
Franc Flores-Perez Whitinsville, Mass.
James “Jimmy” Keith North Andover, Mass.
Sam Spinney Newburyport, Mass.
John Stanley Salem, Mass.
Radley Theolien Dorchester, Mass.
John “J.P.” Young Milford, Mass.
Unified Sports® Partners
Farley Asmath Franklin, Mass.
Ashley Fenton Chicopee, Mass.
Brooke Fenton Chicopee, Mass.
Claude Joseph Weymouth, Mass.
Paige Veideman Auburn, Mass.
About Special Olympics Massachusetts:
Special Olympics Massachusetts (SOMA) provides year-round sports training, athletic competition and other related programming for over 13,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities across the state in over 450 year-round sporting competitions. Through the power of sport, the movement transforms the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics Massachusetts also works with hundreds of schools across the Commonwealth, using sports as a tool to create inclusive communities. Learn more at www.specialolympicsma.org.
About Unified Sports
Special Olympics Massachusetts is proud to have founded the Unified Sports program in 1984. Although the initiative began locally, today it is featured in over 120 countries globally through the international Special Olympics Movement. Officially launched in 1989, Special Olympics Unified Sports has gained momentum over the last three decades due in large part to multiple partners and supporters who have facilitated the growth of the program, such as ESPN, the Department of Education, Lions Club International and many other sports leagues, companies and associations. The Unified Sports competitive model combines Special Olympics athletes and partners as teammates on sport teams for training and competition. All athletes and partners on a Unified Sports competitive team must have attained the necessary sport-specific skills and tactics to compete and teams that participate in this model may be eligible for advancement to Regional and World Games.
About the Arbella Insurance Group
Established in 1988, the Arbella Insurance Group (www.arbella.com) is an A rated company by AM Best, with more than $800 million in revenue and approximately $1.8 billion in assets. Headquartered in Quincy, Massachusetts, Arbella is a customer-focused, regional property and casualty insurance company, providing commercial insurance products in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Hampshire, and personal insurance products in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Recognized as one of the Boston Business Journal’s “Best Places to Work” for 13 consecutive years, Arbella is deeply committed to maintaining high levels of employee satisfaction and supporting a positive and inclusive workplace culture. Arbella attributes its success to their dedicated employees, strong agent partnerships and community focus.
