Perry Mandera, founder of The Custom Companies Inc., supports the Special Olympics. Committed to donating time and resources to charitable organizations on behalf of his company, Perry Mandera’s support of the Special Olympics contributes to events such as the Winter Games.

The 2013 Special Olympics World Winter Games, which will be a week-long event held in the Republic of Korea, will be attended by a slew of celebrity athletes and global leaders wishing to unite and inspire Special Olympic athletes.

Sports legends Michelle Kwan, Yao Ming, Apolo Ohno, Dikembe Mutombo, and Hannah Teter are scheduled to attend the Games. Dignitaries and international leaders scheduled to attend include H.E. Mrs. Joyce Banda, president of the Republic of Malawi; Mr. Muhtar Kent, Chairman and CEO of the Coca-Cola Company; Mr. Petar Stoyanov, former president of the Republic of Bulgaria, and current president of the Center for Global Dialogue and Cooperation. 

In conjunction with the Games Opening Ceremony, Special Olympics will host a Global Development Summit to address “Ending the Cycle of Poverty and Exclusion for People with Intellectual Disabilities.”

A world-class acrobatic training organization based in Chicago, the Jesse White Tumbling Team has performed at business and sporting events since 1959. The organization teaches youth between the ages of six and 16 an array of tumbling and acrobatic skills. In addition to this physical training, the Jesse White Tumbling Team requires that participants maintain a C average in their academic studies. Several times each semester, students must present their report cards, and if their grades drop below this average, they are required to participate in a tutoring program. The Jesse White Tumbling Team offers its own in-house tutoring program for team members. In 2000, the team also implemented its Scholars Program, which not only awards academic scholarships, but also provides college admissions and financial aid counseling and helps coordinate visits to various colleges and universities.

About the author: A community leader and humanitarian, Perry Mandera currently serves on the Jesse White Tumbling Team's Board of Directors. Mandera also operates The Custom Companies, Inc., a full-service transportation firm.

Perry Mandera, President of the full-service transportation company Custom Companies, Inc., maintains continuous involvement in the nonprofit sector on behalf of his company. Mr. Mandera currently sits on the board of directors of Walter and Connie Payton Foundation (WCPF), a nonprofit organization focused on reaching out to children suffering from neglect, abuse, or economic disadvantages and helping them build better futures. WCPF operates several initiatives that support children in need throughout Illinois, including its Holiday Gift Giving Program, which focuses on providing as many gifts as possible during the December holiday season. Through collaboration with the Department of Children and Family Services, the Foundation provides holiday gifts for 16,000 children annually. WCPF additionally hosts charitable runs, marathons, school supply drives, and other projects.

In addition to his work with WCPF, Perry Mandera took on a leadership role when he began Custom Cares Charities, an organization devoted to supporting children's charities through Custom Companies. Mr. Mandera has also volunteered time and resources with the American Cancer Society, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Boys & Girls Club of America, and numerous others.