DAN & CLAIRE MARINO
2010 ADVOCACY AWARD
The Dan Marino Foundation
In the United States, the name “Dan Marino” will forever be tied to football. But Dan and his wife, Claire Marino, hope their legacy comes to mean much more. While Dan was still playing football, his second son, Michael, was diagnosed with autism. Rather than let this challenge get them down, the Marinos and their family took it on with courage, strength and focus.
In 1992, the Marinos established The Dan Marino Foundation, an organization dedicated to “opening doors towards independence for children with special needs.” The Foundation supports medical research, treatment, and outreach programs for autistic children and children with developmental disabilities. Since its founding in 1992, the Foundation has raised over $22 million dollars to provide programs and services that have benefited hundreds of thousands of children and their families.