Golisano, Perry to be honored

Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center will honor Tom Golisano, philanthropist and founder of the Golisano Foundation, and Dr. Mark D. Perry, hospital board member and radiologist, at the medical center’s annual dinner gala, The 2016 Premier.

The event will be held Saturday, Jan. 16, at the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino, 310 Fourth St., Niagara Falls.

Golisano is the founder and chairman of Paychex and former owner of the Buffalo Sabres. In 1985, with an initial gift of $90,000, he launched his first philanthropic endeavor by establishing the Golisano Foundation. Today, with assets of more than $30 million, the foundation is dedicated to funding programs, services and targeted initiatives that provide opportunities and support for those with intellectual disabilities and their families.

It is one of the largest private foundations in the United States dedicated exclusively to helping people with intellectual disabilities.

Since the late 1990s, Golisano’s philanthropy has totaled more than $250 million. In 2014, he donated $3.5 million to Memorial Medical Center to support construction of the innovative new Golisano Center for Community Health. The center will provide comprehensive integrated health care services to adults with special needs and their families.

Golisano will receive the Nancy Gara Spirit Award. The award is presented in memory of a Western New York banking executive and former medical center board member who was renowned for her positive attitude and personal commitment to serving the community.

Perry, a respected radiologist, has been a member of the medical staff at Niagara Falls Memorial since 1983 and has served as chief of the radiology department since 1995. A graduate of St. John Fisher College and Albany Medical College, he is a 15-year member of the Memorial Medical Center Board of Trustees and a member of several professional organizations. He is a principal in Radiology Solutions Associates PLLC.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the new Golisano Center for Community Health at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center. Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available by calling (716) 278-4570.