Charlie Austin, of Brunswick, was selected as a 2023 Patriots Difference Maker of the Week for his commitment to Special Olympics Maine. As part of this recognition, the Kraft family, the New England Patriots Foundation and Gillette will make a $5,000 donation to support the nonprofit.
Charlie Austin, of Brunswick, was named one of 2023’s Patriots Difference Maker of the Week for his work with Special Olympics Maine. Courtesy photo
Throughout the 2023 season, the Kraft family, the New England Patriots Foundation and Gillette recognized 17 local volunteers with the “Patriots Difference Maker of the Week Award.” The honorees were celebrated for going above and beyond to support nonprofit organizations in our New England communities. The Patriots Difference Makers received a pair of tickets to attend the Patriots final regular season home game on Jan. 7 against the New York Jets and participated in a pregame ceremony.
“The volunteers we are honoring today represent the very best of New England and we appreciate the positive impact they have made in each of their communities throughout the region,” Chairman and CEO of the Kraft Group and the New England Patriots Robert Kraft said during the pregame ceremony. “Celebrating volunteerism and giving back to the community have always been, and will always be, of the utmost importance to our family. We are proud that these volunteers and the good work they do will serve as excellent examples and inspiration for others to serve their own communities and to give back to our region.”
“I am honored to receive this award and grateful for the chance to make a difference through Special Olympics,” Austin said. “Volunteering has taught me that acts of kindness, amplified through teamwork, create ripples of positive impact.”
Austin grew up a three-season all-star athlete playing soccer, basketball and baseball. In 2018, at the age of 12, his sports career abruptly ended when he was unexpectedly diagnosed with a rare, progressive cardiac condition. He was told by his cardiac team at Boston Children’s Hospital that he could never play competitive sports again.
In January 2019, Austin began coaching basketball for his local Special Olympics basketball team. From there, he became involved with Special Olympics Maine at the state level by being appointed to the Special Olympics State of Maine Youth Council in 2020. As a member of the Youth Council, he helped facilitate the Maine Summer Games in 2021 as well as helped facilitate the Maine State Unified golf program in 2021.
In July of 2021, Austin was selected to serve as a U.S. Youth Ambassador for Special Olympics of North America. This two-year ambassadorship allowed him to travel all over the United States advocating for people living with intellectual disability to be able to compete in sports. As his capstone project for Special Olympics of North America, Austin spearheaded his high school meeting 10 standards of excellence to become certified as a Special Olympics Unified Champion School.
To learn more about the Difference Maker of the Week program, visit patriots.com/community.
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