President’s Corner: October

Thank You Allegis Group

I am proud to use this month’s President’s Corner article to publicly express my gratitude to Allegis Group for their unwavering and longstanding support of Special Olympics Maryland athletes and Unified teammates. I want to thank CEO Jay Alvather and Faith Johnson, Vice President of Global Human Resources, Talent Acquisition, and CSR at TEKsystems, for their leadership and recent commitment to renew our partnership for another year. I also extend a special thanks to Carla Johnson for her enthusiastic and heartfelt dedication in managing our day-to-day relationship.

Since our initial partnership in 2002, this collaboration has evolved to encompass the entire Allegis Group network of specialized talent solution companies. Over the last 22 years, Allegis Group has invested more than $2.5 million through their foundation and team fundraising efforts via the Plunge. In recognition of their ongoing support and their renewed commitment for 2025, we are proud to announce Allegis Group as the presenting sponsor of the Plunge. As this year’s Plunge approaches, you will see and hear, “The 2025 Maryland State Police Polar Bear Plunge Presented by Allegis Group.”  Beyond their financial contributions, thousands of Allegis Group volunteers have helped us execute our annual Polar Bear Plunge, while also dedicating time each year to support our state Summer Games and other competitions.

Allegis Group’s impact on our athletes is felt year-round, especially during our busiest season of the year. This Fall Sports season includes over 500 athletes and Unified teammates who have trained and competed in long-distance running, powerlifting, flag football, and tennis. Fittingly, we received the Allegis Foundation’s sponsorship contribution on October 8th, amid an intense two-month period of training and competition in these sports, plus cycling and bowling. Alongside these community programs, our Interscholastic Unified Sports (IUS) programs are also thriving, with over 300 students participating in IUS tennis across the state and another 150 in IUS football. Our IUS state tennis tournament is set for November 12th, with the flag football state tournament following on November 17th.

I want to highlight the profound impact that Allegis Group’s investment has on our athletes and Unified teammates. On October 19th, over 300 athletes and Unified teammates competed in long-distance running, powerlifting, flag football, and tennis at our Fall Sports Festival at Mount St. Mary’s University. This event was supported by over 200 volunteers, are large portion of which were students from the Mount including the women’s softball team, which organized the flag football players’ individual skills competition.

On October 26th, more than 200 soccer players and Unified teammates participated in our state tournament at the Crown Sports Center in Fruitland. Over 100 volunteers, including members of Salisbury University’s women’s and men’s soccer teams, helped ensure a memorable experience for all our athletes. Then, on November 3rd, 67 cyclists competed in our state championship in St. Mary’s County, with the support of approximately 35 volunteers.

At each event, family members watched with pride, cheering on their athletes as they competed in sports they love — opportunities made possible by Special Olympics Maryland with generous support from Allegis Group. To Jay, Faith, Carla, and the entire Allegis Group team: thank you for your incredible investment, which goes beyond our athletes and Unified teammates, enriching the lives of family members and volunteers who experience transformative moments through your generosity. Your impact may be challenging to quantify, but you play a pivotal role in building interactive inclusive communities of dignity and respect across Maryland. Through sport, you’re creating a world where opportunity is not limited by disability. Thank you, Allegis Group, for making Maryland better.