Mercy Flight Central is honored to be one of 82 nonprofit organizations selected to receive a generous donation from Tom Golisano, founder of Paychex and long-time philanthropist. During a heartfelt announcement on Tuesday, Golisano committed to donating $360 million to nonprofits across Upstate New York, with Mercy Flight Central receiving an unrestricted gift of $5 million.

This transformative gift will directly support Mercy Flight Central's mission of providing life-saving air medical services to communities in need, ensuring critical care can reach even the most remote areas of Upstate New York. The gift's unrestricted nature allows Mercy Flight Central the flexibility to apply these funds where they are most needed, enhancing operations, patient care, and sustainability for years to come.

"We are incredibly grateful to Tom Golisano for his continued generosity and visionary philanthropy," said Jeff Bartkoski, President/CEO of Mercy Flight Central. "This gift will profoundly impact our ability to continue providing emergency air medical services to those in urgent need. Tom's gift truly strengthens the health and safety of our entire community."

Golisano, 82, shared his motivation for the donation with a lighthearted comment: "People ask me why I would do such a thing. First of all, I applied for immortality, and they didn't give it to me," he quipped. "Secondly, I can't take it with me. But the important thing is that many good organizations provide important services and capabilities to people in our domain here in Upstate New York."

Mercy Flight Central deeply appreciates Golisano's support and remains committed to delivering exceptional critical care services to its communities.