PIMCO Founder Donates $100K to Special Olympics

An organization dedicated to improving the lives of young athletes with disabilities received a generous donation from the founder of Newport Beach-based PIMCO.

Bill Gross, founder of PIMCO, and his wife Sue, recently donated $100,000 to Special Olympics Southern California. The Gross Family's unsolicited donation was prompted after the couple attended one of the group's events and saw first-hand the organization's commitment to making a difference in the community.

“We believe in their mission of working with people with intellectual disabilities," Sue Gross, president of the Gross Family Foundation, said. “Bill and I attended their Summer Games event with our family and were very moved by the experience.”

The Grosses are well-known in the community for their various donations to educational and health-related causes. Although PIMCO has been a longtime sponsor of Special Olympics Southern California, the $100,000 donation marks the first gift from the Gross Family's foundation.

“This major gift will be directed toward growing our School Partnership Program, which delivers our sports training service model to younger special needs athletes,” said Tim Redmond, chairman of the SOSC's board of directors.

In appreciation of the donation, the couple was recognized by SOSC as Honorary Coaches and given a golden whistle for their support.

PIMCO was founded in 1971 and is recognized as one of the largest money management firms in the world.

For more information about SOSC, visit sosc.org.