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When you meet the Suzio brothers, Len and Ric, they have a way of making you feel like a friend from the start. Their warmth, personality and innate care for others is likely what's led to their solid reputation and their successes, both professionally and personally. Day to day, they manage the family business, the L. Suzio York Hill Companies, which was started as a construction and building materials company by their grandfather who came to America from Italy in the 1880's. Today, the company is focused on the building materials business and provides stone, asphalt and concrete for the construction of major projects here in Connecticut including highways, bridges - including the Q Bridge, and university, residential and commercial buildings. It's vital work. "People don't realize that stone is an essential part of everyday life," says Ric. Also important are the values they espouse and cornerstones of the company which include safety, quality, environmental stewardship and community citizenship. Special Olympics Connecticut is extremely fortunate to have Rick, Len and the employees of Suzio as partners, working with the organization to create a more inclusive and community-focused world.

This year, Len and Ric Suzio and the close to 100 employees of Suzio York Hill are celebrating the 125^th anniversary of the business - and are doing so in ways that will impact their community and spread joy to others - including Special Olympics athletes. Suzio was a 2023 Special Olympics Connecticut Summer Games sponsor and will be a sponsor of the 2023 Unified Sports® Fall Festival in September - an event it has sponsored for over 10 years. Employees will be on hand for golf competition at Sleeping Giant Golf Course in Hamden which is one of the Fall Festival events and they'll be sporting hats that feature the Suzio and Special Olympics Connecticut logos. The hats are a gift Ric and Len are offering to employees this milestone year to encourage them to experience Special Olympics personally. Ric and Len strongly believe once their colleagues participate in the Games, they'll be hooked - just as they were. Ric and Len also welcomed several Special Olympics Global Messengers to their Meriden headquarters recently to see the company trucks they've embellished with the Special Olympics Connecticut logo to show their commitment to the athletes and inspire greater awareness for the organization.

Len and Ric grew up with four siblings, all who have taken on roles in the business. Ric is responsible for sales, purchasing and quality control; Len, legal and administration; their brother Scott, operations and their sister Linda was a dispatcher before leaving the company to become their parents' caretaker. Their brother Steven also worked for the company before losing his life in a car accident. Most of the credit for the company's success in the safety, health and philanthropy arena would have to go to their eldest sister Cheryl who Ric says deserves to be the center of a story about their company and Special Olympics. Cheryl sadly passed away in 2021 after a valiant battle with cancer but leaves a legacy of compassion, empathy, and kindness. 

Cheryl, who was Vice President of Safety and Health at Suzio-York Hill Companies and an award-winning leader, possessed an enormous, caring heart. Prior to joining the family business, Cheryl worked as a special education teacher in New Hampshire while residing in Maine and was heavily involved with Camp Nerden in Middlefield, which offers recreational activities and programs to children and adults with special needs. And she served on the Board of Directors for the Camp. This July, Cheryl was memorialized with a bench and garden area at the Camp for her steadfast service and generosity.

Ric shares that Cheryl should be the hero of this story because she was a passionate advocate for Special Olympics and a very involved supporter of the organization. She also served as the company's Special Olympics Connecticut liaison. She developed a strong bond and cherished friendship with Special Olympics Connecticut's Sharon Rozum with whom she worked closely. 

Cheryl was a "delightful, vibrant" person, Ric warmly recalls. "Her smile could make anyone smile and was infectious," he added. She broke the glass ceiling, making her mark and earning the respect and admiration of others in her profession in what is still a male dominant field. Even while battling cancer the first time, Ric shared that few knew of Cheryl's diagnosis because she remained positive and upbeat and continued to run the company's safety program without pause. For her efforts, character and talent, Cheryl received national recognition. She was named the James M. Christie Safety and Health Professional of the Year by the National Stone Sand and Gravel Association in 2010 and AggMan of the Year by Aggregates Manager Magazine in 2009.

Even when enduring her own struggles, Ric said that Cheryl was more concerned about the welfare and well-being of others. He shared that when he would take her to the hospital for treatment, Cheryl was more concerned about the nurses and parking attendants and what they were going through. She epitomized many of the characteristics Special Olympics athletes possess - a deep concern for others, authenticity and a pure and real joy that radiated with brilliance and lifted up everyone around her.

Their upbringing had a strong influence on the Suzio siblings. Their mom was very involved in the church and civic organizations and their father, a very kind and generous person who never wanted recognition for his good deeds. Special Olympics has been interwoven into the lives of Ric and Len from the time they were teenagers. Having a cousin with intellectual disabilities inspired their family to become involved in volunteering for the organization. Len recalled that the Special Olympics state games hosted by Southern Connecticut State University was his first volunteer experience and where he collected several autographs from the Shrivers and Kennedys. 

Len also remembers supporting Special Olympics as one of the volunteers in charge of entertainment for the 1995 Special Olympics World Games in New Haven. Ric helped out at World Games as well. He assisted athletes from around the world with arts and crafts at Olympic Town on Yale field, helping them to create bead necklaces and macaroni bracelets. Ric remembers that he couldn't always communicate with the athletes with words - many were non-verbal or spoke a different language - but was able to communicate with them through gestures and expressions. He also recalled that the athletes would arrive a little timid, but after a few minutes, he'd see them smiling ear to ear.

More recently, Ric and his family - wife, son and daughter - have volunteered together at our Unified Sports® Fall Festival golf tournament. Ric said it was especially wonderful to see his son, who's an athlete himself, interact and connect with Special Olympics golfers.

A strong work ethic and public service are in the Suzios' blood. Their grandfather, Suzio York Hill Companies' founder, arrived in the US from Italy in 1888 and worked on the railroad after the Blizzard of '88. Prior to entering in the construction and construction materials profession, he was a baker and hauled garbage. He subsequently began working with a mason and the Suzio business was born. He was also a member of a committee that was dedicated to providing financial aid to Italian students at Yale. The brothers' other grandfather, on their mother's side, was a mayor of Meriden and state senator.

Ric's early volunteer experiences, in addition to Special Olympics, included helping out at picnic for senior citizens where he helped provide them with all the treats that seniors are typically forbidden to have, including soda, chips, ice cream and candy.  He still lends a helping hand at this event - 51 years later! Len is very active in supporting the arts - especially for those with special needs and sensory sensitivity. He serves on the board of the Shubert Theater and Goodspeed Opera House. The Suzios also donate concrete to Yale University's first-year architect students so they can design and construct housing for Columbus House, a New Haven homeless shelter. And, they host an annual golf tournament in memory of their brother Steven.

Other ways Len and Ric are celebrating the 125^th anniversary of Suzio York Hill Companies include planting 125 trees on their properties and donating $125,000 to civic and community organizations. It's also a year in which their excellence, longevity and philanthropy are being recognized - the company recently received the Quinnipiac Chamber of Commerce's Heritage Award.

The Suzio brothers even have a hiking trail on their property, across the way from their headquarters in Meriden. It is open to the public and, from the top, one can enjoy an expansive, impressive view of the quarry - something unique and another example of how they open their hearts and share their resources with their community. Working in concrete, the expansion of their company to four businesses in five locations and sadness they've encountered through the loss of loved ones might have hardened their hearts, but the brothers possess a softness and may be two of the warmest, most selfless individuals you may ever meet, as they carry on a legacy of success and love.

Len and Ric are also great teammates. Ric says "We have our differences, but it's hard to be petty when you're working to support something much bigger." His dad taught him that. Their father also laid out the business by giving his children niche jobs within the company that suited to their interests and abilities and ensure they thrived. Just like Special Olympics runners in a track event, Ric says "We respect each other's lanes."

With all his family's and company's accomplishments, Ric shared he has one regret - that "Unified Sports® wasn't around when I was an athlete." He admires the way athletes with and without intellectual disabilities work together through the program. He also shares why he, Len and the Suzio York Hill Companies remain dedicated to supporting Special Olympics. "It's the celebration of the athletes that happens at events and the enthusiasm of the athletes. No matter where the athlete finishes. The sense of finishing is a victory. The smiles and affection you get from the athletes - it's rewarding."