市長候選人群起圍攻 Kim Janey回應將公佈警察內部檔案以示透明

波士頓是代市長Kim Janey。(檔案照片) (Boston Orange 編譯)波士頓代市長Kim Janey今(12)日下午6點發出聲明，強調她要讓市政府的每個角落都透明，負責，已指示市府法律部門，立即檢視前警察Patrick Rose的內部事務檔案，做必要修改，以保護受害者資訊，然後盡快公開檔案。 她表示，任何可能洩漏性攻擊或家庭暴力案件受害者身分的資訊，都必須重新撰寫，以符合法律規定。不過市府也同樣有義務要確保透明的面對公眾，因為扣押資訊只會破壞公眾信任。 她說，「我已經要求儘快檢視，重寫事件發生經過，以便檔案可向大眾公開」。 Kim Janey表示，波士頓警察局自己的內部調查都認為1995年的嚴重指控是可信，卻竟然沒人阻止Rose和其他青少年接觸，而且Rose還能獲准在警局繼續任職超過20年，甚至最後領導巡警組，讓人覺得很莫名其妙，深感不安。 波士頓環球報稱，Kim Janey是在一群波士頓市議員，市長候選人，以及麻州國會議員都強烈施壓，要求獨立調查，並說明波士頓警察局是如何處理這宗陳年舊案後，才決定公開檔案。 波士頓環球報在週六晚刊發報導，稱波士頓警察局在1995年以性虐待的刑事罪，控告Rose。但該控訴後來撤銷了，檢控官現在說，Rose逼使一名12歲男孩撤銷控訴。另外的一宗波士頓警察局行政調查，後來決定Rose很可能犯了罪。 在波士頓環球報這故事上網一日後，波士頓市議員們星期日發表了一份聯合聲明，要求對波士頓警察局如何處理這宗1995年案件，徹底問責，並誓言要使用包括市議員的能力的每一樣可用工具，來逼使市府公佈紀錄，以確保這是件的透明度，並建立安全保護，避免類似事情發生的任何可能。 波士頓市長候選人Andrea Campbell說，持續的缺乏透明度與問責制是不可接受的。每延遲一分鐘，就是進一步破壞公眾信任，否決了受害者應享有的正義。 同樣在競選市長的吳弭(Michelle Wu)稱這情形是”可怕的破壞公眾信任，而且持續到今天，還有(Kim Janey)政府拒絕公開內部事務記錄。 另一名波士頓市長候選人Annissa Essaibi George在社交媒體上說，”這掩蓋文化必須為過去”。 麻州國會議員也支持要求獨立調查的呼籲。普莉斯萊說，這是侵犯公眾信任的警鐘。社區都稱波士頓警察局的內部事務，經常都不追究，沒後果，沒責任。 麻州參議員伊莉莎白沃倫(Elizabeth Warren)表示，人們需要透明及問責來從系統中根除不正義。 去年夏天Rose被逮捕，目前因性虐待6名7歲到16歲男孩的33宗控罪，羈押在囚。其中一名男童告訴警察，Rose在1995年虐待他。波士頓警察局拒絕說Rose是否受到紀律懲罰，但波士頓環球報的調查發現，該部門在那控訴之後，幾乎沒採取任何措施來限制Rose和其他孩童的接觸。 Rose擔任巡警20多年，2014年時當選波士頓市最有力量的巡警工會會長，並連任至2018年初退休。             Kim Janey表示，她的政府正在加倍努力進行警察改革，並成立在有必要時有權發傳票要求公開記錄之外，有權檢視所有內部事務檔案的警察問責及透明辦公室(OPAT)。             波士頓市府為聘請OPAT執行主任，正在完成聘僱條款，市府的2022會計年度預算，將包括支持這辦公室成立的一大筆款項。她將在未來數日宣佈誰是OPAT主任，並會訂出成立OPAT辦公室的資金及資源計畫大綱，在週三時和2022會計年度預算一併公佈。 Statement from Mayor Kim Janey on Former Boston Police Officer Patrick Rose

 

As I have stated previously, my administration has pledged to bring a new era of transparency and accountability to all corners of city government. I have instructed the City’s Law Department, as counsel for the Boston Police Department, to immediately review former police officer Patrick Rose’s internal affairs file. In keeping with the law, any information that could compromise the identities of victims of sexual assault and domestic violence must be redacted. However, we have an equally compelling obligation to ensure transparency with the public because withholding information only serves to erode the public’s trust. I have asked that the review and redaction happen as quickly as possible so that the file can be released to the public. It is baffling that officer Rose was allowed to remain on the force for over two decades and ultimately led the patrolmen’s union. I was deeply disturbed to learn that there was no effort to prevent Rose from coming into contact with other minors after such serious charges were found to be credible by BPD’s own internal affairs probe of the original allegations in 1995. Transparency and accountability are foundational values when it comes to fostering public trust, and this is especially true for law enforcement. That is exactly why my administration is doubling down on our work to implement police reform and to stand up Boston’s Office of Police Accountability and Transparency (OPAT). OPAT will have the authority to review all internal affairs cases, in addition to holding subpoena power to compel the release of records and enhance accountability when necessary. We are in the process of finalizing an offer to hire an executive director to lead the critical work of OPAT, and our upcoming budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2022 includes significant funding to successfully launch this office. I look forward to announcing the executive director of OPAT in the coming days, and we will outline our plan for funding and resources to support the establishment of OPAT when we release our FY22 budget proposal on Wednesday.

新冠病毒確診人數 麻州排全美第15名

 

麻州州長疫情匯報 4/12 本週內200萬人完成疫苗接種

麻州州長查理貝克(Charlie Baker)感嘆無法確定能拿到多少強生疫苗。

(Boston Orange 綜合編譯)本週內，麻州將有200萬人完成疫苗接種，到4月19日時，州內所有16歲以上居民都有資格接種新冠疫苗，到5月31日國殤日時，相信麻州內的絕大多數人都已接種了新冠疫苗。

              由於巴爾的摩(Baltimore)疫苗生產廠上週發生汙染狀況，強生(J&J)疫苗的供應量將下跌85%。聯邦疾病防治局公佈的資料顯示，麻州本週會收到的強生疫苗數量，將從上週的103,800劑，驟降至12,300劑。

麻州州長查理貝克(Charlie Baker)，副州長白莉朵(Karyn Polito)和健康及人民服務長蘇德思Marylou Sudders今(12)日參訪屋斯特家庭健康中心(Family Health Center of Worcester)，匯報新冠病毒疫情概況，口頭慶祝醫療健保法通過15週年，醫療聯繫者(Healthcare Connector)得以設立，幫助了數以萬計的麻州居民。

麻州副州長白莉朵(Karyn Polito)感謝屋斯特的醫療相關機構。

查理貝克簡報4月11日的疫情數據時，強調在全美人口500萬以上的大州中，麻州仍是防疫及施打疫苗成績最佳的州之一。整個防疫工程的關鍵在於聯邦政府的防疫指導原則，麻州能夠拿到多少疫苗，並多迅速的為民眾施打疫苗，然後是觀察變種病毒的擴散狀況。

他個人希望麻州能拿到更多只須施打一劑的強生疫苗，因為和必須施打兩劑的輝瑞(Pfizer)和莫德納(Moderna)相比，不但施打疫苗流程少了一半，而且完成疫苗施打的時間，可從6星期降至2星期，還有疫苗的儲存或運送，不須做超低溫安排，省事很多。

麻州健康及人民服務長Marylou Sudders表示今天還是實施接觸追蹤
一週年紀念。該做法為59萬人提供了隔離檢疫服務。

查理貝克強調，麻州有能力更快速的為更多民眾施打疫苗，關鍵是供應量不足也不穩定，讓麻州難以辦理更有效率的施打疫苗計畫。

聯邦疾病防治中心目前的做法，更偏好直接分發疫苗給地方零售藥店，所以民眾可能會直接從他們的家庭醫師或醫護人員那而得到去CVS等藥店，或是地方上的社區醫療中心等地接種疫苗的通知。查理貝克表示，他對聯邦政府怎麼做並無意見，重要的是麻州居民都能接種疫苗。

查理貝克並指出，今日是麻州醫療聯繫者(Massachusetts Health Connector)法案通過的15週年，該法使得麻州成為全美居民醫療保險享有率最高的州，大約97%。

麻州醫療聯繫者主任Louis Gutierrez呼籲需要醫療保險者，上該機構
網站查找資料。

麻州醫療聯繫者主任Louis Gutierrez表示，由於聯邦政府通過了聯邦援救法(federal rescue act)，現在是登記參加醫療保險的最好時候，有意獲得醫療保險者可在7月24日前上該機構網站www.healthcareconnector.org。凡是在今年內失業的人，7月份起，可獲得免費醫療保險。

屋斯特家庭醫療中心執行長Louis Brady 。

昆士市政要出面呼籲停止仇恨亞裔 (圖片)

 

波士頓市長候選人吳弭拜會華埠商家 聆聽傾訴 (圖片)

 

麻州青少年創作"We Are Proud to be Asian" 呼籲和平別沉默

青少年演唱"We are proud to be Asian"。
(視頻截圖)

      (Boston Orange 綜合編譯報導) 14歲青少年的一首歌，「我們以身為亞裔為榮(We are proud to be Asian)」，4月9日上了”油管(Youtube)”，歌詞句句直戳亞裔心聲，不到2日，已有3500人次觀看。

                 這首歌，音韻柔和，歌詞既提出”我們生於同一星球，為什麼要依樣貌歧視?”，”為什麼我們得每天生活在恐懼之中”的質疑，也強調”停止仇恨，推動和平”，”保持安靜不是選項”，”我們要今天就見到改變”，”我們是一起在經歷這些”。

田雨鑫創作了"We are proud to be Asian"這首歌。
(視頻截圖)

            3月16日亞特蘭大發生槍擊案，遇害者中有6人為亞裔。勒星頓鎮華人日前為這事舉行了燭光悼念會。住在勒星頓(Lexington)鎮，才14歲的田雨鑫，那天當志工，第一次看到那麼多華人同胞，洋人鄰居同時站了出來，感觸良深，回家後拿起吉他，筆記本，坐在睡房門前，彈出了樂章，填出了詞。

                 年紀還小，正在音樂這條路上邁步的她，完成”我們以身為亞裔為榮”這首歌後，拿出手機，拍下自己演唱這首歌的視頻，然後連同樂譜，一起交給她母親，就上床去睡了。

             她媽媽當晚就和朋友分享了女兒的作品，看到，聽到的人都興奮極了，立即推動出製作計畫，緊接著在2星期之內，指導田雨鑫學音樂的柏克萊(Berklee)音樂學院教師Edvard Lee就製作出一輯音樂視頻，安排了田雨鑫媽媽從大波士頓個市鎮找來的18名青少年合唱。

             現年39歲的Edvard Lee說，整件事發生得好快。先是田雨鑫拿樂譜去找他後，接著他和田雨鑫的媽媽聊了一下，那個週末，他們就開始為這音樂專輯錄音和拍影片了。

             田雨鑫的媽媽經由勒星頓華人協會協助，找來18名青少年參加音樂專輯製作。Edvard Lee還找來東北大學畢業的彭雅嵐做導演和剪輯，製片，雖然因為新冠病毒(COVID-19)疫情，參加演出的青少年們得單獨，或分成小組來錄製，但一個星期，他們就把這音樂專輯做出來了。田雨鑫說，整個製作過程感覺起來好”超現實”。

             田雨鑫告訴波士頓環球報，她寫的這首歌，”我們以身為亞裔為榮”，將於4月11日下午4點在波士頓廣場舉行的又一場抗議反亞裔仇恨集會中正式出場。

麻州新冠病毒變種有三 英國，巴西，南非致命率、傳染性都更高

             (Boston Orange 編譯)新冠病毒(COVID-19)變種，三個月前就已經在麻州出現，還悄悄散佈，如今已經至少有英國，巴西，南非等來自三個不同地方的變種新冠病毒了。

             編號B.117這變種，來自英國。聯邦疾病防治中心(CDC)說這一新冠病毒變種目前在美國最普遍，從1月17日迄今，麻州也有數百宗案例。

             P.1變種來自巴西，最近在鱈魚角發生的集體感染，就是來自巴西。

             B.1.351這新冠病毒變種來自南非，也出現在麻州了。

             流行病學家說，變種病毒傳染性更強，致命率更高，個案數增加令人憂慮。相信這些變種病毒的出現是麻州疫情個案又再升高的原因之一。

             至於麻州內已經越來越多人注射了新冠疫苗，人們對這些變種病毒到底應該有多憂慮，專家說實在很難說。

             聯邦疾病防治中心的數據稱，麻州發現了977宗英國變種新冠病毒，82宗巴西變種病毒，12宗南非變種病毒。

        令人擔心的是，麻州水資源局還在鹿島廢水處理廠發現英國變種的蹤跡。劍橋市的生物機器人分析公司(Biobot Analytics)也在水樣本中發現這傳染性比新冠病毒強60%，致命率高67%的英國病毒變種。

               聯邦疾病防治中心今年初還因為追蹤病毒變種散佈情況不利，備受指責，最近在聯邦紓困款撥17.5億元來做基因測序的支持下，已有大幅度改善。

           哈佛大學陳曾熙公共衛生學院助理教授Thomas Tsai表示，檢測變種還需要更有系統，更密集，仔細的檢驗。包括英國，南非及巴西的新冠病毒變種，都已經在美國散佈開來了，人們需要持續小心防範病毒傳染。

哈佛今秋錄取1968名學生 亞裔佔27%

             (Boston Orange)哈佛大學剛剛發出1223份入學許可給照正常時序申請入學的2025屆學生，包括那些提早錄取的人在內，今年共錄取1968人。

             哈佛大學的2025屆，共有57,435人申請，比2024那屆的40248人，多了整整17,000多，也就是申請人數增加了43%，錄取率當然就更低了。以族裔結構來看，更加多元化了，約有18%為非洲裔美人或黑人，27.2%為亞裔，13.3%為拉丁裔，1.2%為美國土著，0.6%為夏威夷土著。女生佔52.9%。

             哈佛大學入學許可及財務援助主管William R. Fitzsimmons表示，所有申請人都得克服前所未有的挑戰。學生們的申請文件及個人故事，讓人得以一窺他們的韌性，才智上的好奇心，以及他們對各自家庭，學校及社區所有的貢獻，都很勵志。

             哈佛文理學院主管Glaudine Gay表示，儘管有許多學生今秋延期入學，但哈佛大學選擇照每屆學生人數全額錄取。

             哈佛錄取的這2025屆學生來自全美50州，哥倫比亞特區，波多黎各，處女島等地，以及全球94個國家。其中國際學生佔12.2%，有美國雙重國籍的佔8.8%。大約20.4%來自中部大西洋各州，19.8%來自南部，16.4%來自新英格蘭地區，17%來自西部及山區各州，11.9%來自中西部，14.5%來自美國屬地及外國。

             根據預估，這些獲得入學許可的學生中，有55%會拿到以需要為基礎的補助金，讓他們的父母每年只要付12,000元左右。另有年收入低於65,000元的20%家庭，哈佛大學不會要他們繳學費。這些學生還會得到2000元贈款，幫助他們支付上學要應付得搬家等費用。

             約27%學生，家庭年收入低於8萬元，有資格獲得哈佛大學的財務援助(HFAI)。

             從2005年迄今，哈佛大學共發出24億美元補助大學本科生就學。

            沒有拿到以需求為基礎補助的學生，2021-2022這學年的學費，漲了3%，約為74,528元。         

             去年哈佛宣布會擴大財務援助，從2020到2021學年開始，把需要暑期打工的補助改成了獎學金。由於新冠病毒疫情的影響，哈佛今年廢除了領取2020-2021學年財務補助者要打工的要求。今秋回校上課的學生，估計得經由學期打工，繳交3500元來支付估計的個人開銷。

             收到錄取通知學生，最後決定是否進哈佛的截止日期是5月3日。

波士頓市府移民進步辦公室每月提供兩次免費移民諮詢

       (Boston Orange)波士頓移民進步辦公室(MOIA)每月的第一及第三個星期三的中午12點至下午3點，提供免費移民諮詢，預約可洽617-635-2980，或發電郵到immigrantadvancement@boston.gov。

             查詢更多資訊，可上網http://ow.ly/1qMo50DBzok。需要移民律師，或洽詢出門事宜?可電洽617-635-2980 ，或發電郵immigrantadvancement@boston.gov。

      If you need immigration advice, the Mayor's Office for Immigrant Advancement - Bostonoffers free immigration consultations on the first and third Wednesday of every month from 12 - 3 p.m. Call 617-635-2980 or email immigrantadvancement@boston.gov to make an appointment.Learn more: http://ow.ly/1qMo50DBzok

Need an immigration lawyer? Call 617-635-2980 or email immigrantadvancement@boston.gov to book a free immigration consultation today.

Do you need a travel lawyer? Call 617-635-2980 or email immigrantadvancement@boston.gov to book your travel advisory appointment today.

尼倫街150號改建住宅 居民要求:2睡房以上、本地居民可優先申購

波士頓華埠居民會共同主席黃楚瑜(左)，黃國威(右)主持會議。
(視頻截圖)

        (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導)波士頓華埠居民在4月7日的居民月例會中告訴尼倫(Kneeland)街150號發展商，"我們需要適合家庭的住宅”，”一戶有二到三睡房更好”。

               2018年時，乞臣集團(Hudson Group)要在位於皮革區(Leather District)的尼倫街150號，4842平方尺的土地上，建造有 230個房間酒店，波士頓計畫發展局(BPDA)批准了。由於新冠疫情衝擊，該集團改變計畫，現在要建成有115戶，供出售的住宅大樓。       

波士頓華埠居民會開月會，波士頓市議員Ed Flynn(左下)，麻州眾議員
Aaron Michlewitz的助理何識惠(Cheri Hill，右上)，波士頓市長亞裔
聯絡員許麗莎(第二排最下)都來出席會議。

        乞臣集團創辦人Ori Ron的兒子Noam Ron在波士頓華埠居民會的4月份會議中說明，該集團偏向於建造可出售的公寓單位，以增加社區內住宅單位數量。這土地發展計畫雖然是從酒店改為住宅大樓，但建築物的基本結構幾乎保持不變，目前已獲得皮革區幾乎無異議的同意。

波士頓市議員Ed Flynn(下)像乞臣集團的Noam Ron強調，他很看重
居民的意見。(視頻截圖)

           整個發展計畫中的可負擔房屋部分，乞臣集團將再度與華人經濟發展協會(CEDC)合作，藉由該集團建造公寓必須繳交給波士頓市政府的大約500到700萬元，在華經會擁有的好事福街(Oxfod)土地上，建造大約20個可負擔住宅，供年收入在波士頓市中位收入30%到50%的居民承租。

 

           Noam Ron也說明這發展計畫將10年撥款10萬元，資助華埠社區聘請Project Place來清掃華埠，捐款3萬5000元給波士頓警察局在所謂”熱點”，安裝監視攝像機，捐款5萬元修繕行人道，捐款2萬5000元修繕黃述沾紀念公園等。

Hudson集團的簡報有中文。

             波士頓市議員愛德華費林(Ed Flynn)這晚全程出席會議，並向乞臣集團強調，居民意見是他是否支持該項目的關鍵，他將等華經會派人到華埠居民會做說明後，再做決定。他很高興乞臣集團為這會議特地請了一名翻譯。

             多名華埠居民，包括華人前進會共同主席湯建華，好事福街居民Wanhua Chen，周萱寧，余佩瑛(譯音)都表示，華埠居民需要的是適合一家三口以上，真正可負擔的住宅。

         Wanhua Chen指出，譬如華經會和乞臣集團合作的平安居，只有一房一廳，她連申請的資格都沒有。湯建華認為，這發展計畫只撥出20個可負擔住宅，太少了，應該至少30個。

司法部民權組到會提供民權資訊。

               Noam Ron表示，關於可負擔房屋有幾間睡房的設計問題，得和華經會商談。

               華人前進會員工鄺寶蓮指出，波士頓市府似在牙買加平原(JP)實施在地居民可享租購優先權做法，若然，華埠應爭取適用該做法。

              波士頓華埠居民會的當晚議程，原本列有華經會說明好事福街遊樂場，泰勒街78號翻修計畫這一項。華經會代表稱該會當天早上才知道得做簡報，來不及準備，但應出席者要求，簡述了概況，並指出目前仍在審議設計階段，可下個月再到會做說明。

司法部提供的中文資訊。

              波士頓華埠居民會當晚的其他議程包括小南閣餐廳搬到乞臣街21號，請華埠居民會支持酒牌轉讓，將由Yimin Tang和Annie Huang經營的Baio珍珠奶茶店將在乞臣街13號開業，爭取支持。

                美國司法部麻州區人權組組長Jennifer A. Serafyn因應近期美國社會中的反亞裔仇恨暴力事件陡增，特地到會，以兩頁中文簡報，說明法律對民眾有哪些方面的保護。

波士頓華埠居民會共同主席黃楚瑜和黃國威在會末補充，4月13日晚上6點到7點半，有場關於新冠病毒疫苗的中文(廣東話)說明會，有興趣參加者，可自行上網http://bit.ly/VacICanto，或洽華人前進會。下次月例會為5月5日。

波士頓市長疫情匯報 4/8

 

Chamber Announces Three New Executive Committee Members

 Chamber Announces Three New Executive Committee Members

The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce the addition of three exemplary business leaders to the Executive Committee of the Chamber’s Board of Directors. The new committee members, Dr. Kevin B. Churchwell, President and CEO of Boston Children’s Hospital, David Foss, Northeast Market Managing Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, and Yvonne Garcia, Chief of Staff to Chairman and CEO & Global Head of Communications at State Street Corporation, bring an intense commitment to the Chamber’s mission to advance equity and create an inclusive economy, making Boston the best place for all people and all businesses to thrive.

 

Dr. Kevin B. Churchwell, President & CEO, Boston Children’s Hospital

Kevin B. Churchwell, M.D., is the President and Chief Executive Officer at Boston Children’s Hospital, providing leadership, vision, and oversight for a team that’s dedicated to improving and advancing child health through their life-changing work in clinical care, research and innovation, medical education, and community engagement.

Prior to joining Boston Children’s Hospital, Dr. Churchwell was Chief Executive Officer for Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, DE. Dr. Churchwell also served as the CEO and Executive Director for the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital, part of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN. A graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Vanderbilt Medical School in Nashville, Dr. Churchwell completed his pediatric residency and a clinical fellowship in Pediatric Critical Care at Boston Children's Hospital. He is currently an Associate Professor of Pediatric Anesthesia at Harvard Medical School and Dr. Churchwell is the Robert and Dana Smith Associate Professor of Anesthesia at the Harvard Medical School.

 

David Foss, Northeast Market Managing Partner, PwC

David Foss serves as the PwC’s Managing Partner for the Northeast Region, responsible for directing the strategy and operations of PwC’s Boston, Hartford, and Albany offices. As a member of the PwC leadership team, Dave leads a diverse portfolio of clients including large asset managers, hedge, private equity and venture capital funds, asset servicers, broker-dealers and banks. He has significant experience in managing complex issues and risk through a balanced approach with multiple stakeholder groups including management, boards and regulators. 

Dave joined PwC in 1997 and was admitted to the partnership in 2006, and he also served as co-leader of the Asset and Wealth Management, Northeast US. Dave is a member of the Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Texas Societies of Certified Public Accountants.

 

Yvonne Garcia, Chief of Staff Chairman and CEO, and Global Head of Communications, State Street Corporation

Yvonne Garcia serves as Chief of Staff to State Street’s Chairman and CEO, Ron O’Hanley, and as Global Head of Communications. Prior to State Street, Yvonne served as Director in Marketing and Distribution Strategy for Liberty Mutual and as Vice President for Bank of America’s China Construction Bank Strategic Assistance Program. In that role, Yvonne and her team created and implemented over five new Wealth Management Centers throughout China which resulted in over 80 centers currently throughout the country. Yvonne is a fully certified Six Sigma Black Belt, and applies that discipline, rigor, and process to every project on which she deploys.

As an active leader of local and national communities, Yvonne served as the Chairwoman for the largest Latino Professional Organization in the country, ALPFA.  Yvonne is also the co-founding Chair of Milagros para Niños, a board at Children’s Hospital in Boston, which has raised more than $14 million in funds for Hispanic children who can’t afford medical care. In addition, Yvonne was appointed by Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker to serve on the state’s Latino Advisory Commission Board and was also appointed as the Chairwoman for the Greater Boston Chamber’s Women’s Network.

Yvonne has been featured in Fortune magazine in partnership with ALPFA as one of the Top 50 Most Powerful Latinas in the United States four years in a row and just last year was named Boston Business Journal’s Power 50. This year, Yvonne was recognized by the Boston Business Journal’s Women Who Mean Business and by Yahoo Finance on their top 10 HERoes list nationally showcasing leaders who are championing women in business and driving change for gender diversity in the workplace.  

Yvonne holds an MBA from Boston University in Finance and Marketing and a BA from SUNY Albany and is a Six Sigma Black Belt. Last year Yvonne was awarded an honorary degree in Doctor of Humane Letters from Cambridge College in Boston, Massachusetts and most recently an honorary degree in Doctor of Commerce from New England School of Business. 

Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism to Sponsor Boston Marathon Adaptive Programs

PARTNERSHIP ENHANCES OPPORTUNITIES FOR ATHLETES WITH AUTISM, INTELLECTUAL, OR PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENTS

2019 Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation Participants,
Courtesy of Boston Athletic Association

BOSTON—The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) announced today that the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism will serve as a sponsor of the Boston Marathon Adaptive Programs beginning with the 125th Boston Marathon on October 11, 2021. Together, the partnership will enhance opportunities and inclusiveness for athletes with autism, intellectual, and physical impairments participating in the Boston Marathon.

“The Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism has been part of the Boston Marathon family as an Official Charity Partner for more than 15 years, and we are very pleased to expand our partnership and welcome the Flutie Foundation as a sponsor of our Adaptive Programs,” said Tom Grilk, President and CEO of the B.A.A. “Together, we will highlight and celebrate the journeys of many Boston Marathoners and further our focus on providing a memorable and meaningful race experience for all athletes.”

2017 Adaptive Runners Start
Courtesy of Boston Athletic Association

As the presenting sponsor of the Adaptive Program for runners, the Flutie Foundation will help provide resources to enhance inclusive and equal participation opportunities in the Boston Marathon, while highlighting the many aspirational athletes who are part of the program.

“The Flutie Foundation and the B.A.A. are both committed to ensuring that people with developmental, intellectual, and physical impairments, including autism, have opportunities and support to participate in prestigious athletic events, and we are honored to be the presenting sponsor of the Boston Marathon’s Adaptive Program for runners” said Doug Flutie, President and Co-Founder of the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism. “As a long-time participant of the Boston Marathon, I am honored the Flutie Foundation will be the presenting sponsor of the Adaptive Program for runners. Together, the Flutie Foundation and the B.A.A. look forward to providing a best-in-class experience for the athletes of the Adaptive Programs.”

Adaptive Programs are offered to Para Athletes in the Boston Marathon, providing a unique opportunity for athletes with eligible impairments to experience and take part in the Boston Marathon. Para Athletes who are part of the Adaptive Programs possess eligible impairments that align with those defined by World Para Athletics, including certain intellectual impairments, visual impairments, and physical impairments. Athletes in the Adaptive Programs at the Boston Marathon receive accessible transportation and staging in both Hopkinton and Boston near the start and finish lines.

Former NFL Quarterback, Doug Flutie, and his wife Laurie started the Doug Flutie, Jr. Flutie Foundation for Autism in 1998 after their son, Dougie, was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. Since then The Flutie Foundation has been dedicated to creating a world where people with autism and other disabilities are included, respected and actively engaged in their communities. Over its 23-year history, the Flutie Foundation has distributed over $15 million into the autism community, helping people and families affected by autism live life to the fullest.

The 125th Boston Marathon will be held on Monday, October 11, 2021. A Virtual 125th Boston Marathon will also take part October 8-10 in celebration of the race’s milestone anniversary. Registration for the Virtual 125th Boston Marathon is currently open within the B.A.A.’s online platform, Athletes’ Village.  Registration for the in-person 125th Boston Marathon will open on April 20, 2021 within Athletes’ Village.