The late Dr. Pearse Lyons was an innovator, entrepreneur and philanthropist who believed in making a difference in the lives of others. In 1980, he founded Alltech to improve the health and well-being of Animals, Consumers and the Environment (ACE). Today, Dr. Lyons’ legacy lives on through the Pearse Lyons ACE foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that supports the philanthropic endeavors of Alltech and the Lyons family, which are often focused on agriculture and education and supporting communities in need.
Philanthropy is a cornerstone of our culture at Alltech. We are committed to supporting the communities in which we live and work around the world. Many of our ongoing community engagement projects help support underserved families and vulnerable populations.
These projects include efforts in Serdan, Mexico, where volunteers dedicate their time to the children living at a local orphanage, providing mentorship and sponsoring projects that improve their care.
In Haiti, we continue to support three primary schools, a relationship established following the devastating earthquake of 2010. Today, those schools ensure the education of more than 1,200 children. In the Philippines, we rebuilt an elementary school where more than 900 students now have access to new computers and science equipment.
In Kentucky, we are supporting GreenHouse17 — an organization that provides resources to survivors of partner abuse — in its efforts to build a more sustainable revenue source through handmade goods.
Rooted in Alltech’s history of active, on-the-ground disaster relief around the world, the Pearse Lyons ACE Foundation has enabled us to strengthen our support. In recent years, we have been able to aid the global agriculture community in its recovery from several natural disasters.
Dr. Lyons believed that education is the primary catalyst for success and that progress is driven by insatiable curiosity.
In the aftermath of a devastating earthquake in Haiti, Pearse supported the construction of three primary schools. Today, those schools are still supported by the Pearse Lyons ACE Foundation, which ensures the education of more than 1,200 children.
In the Philippines, we helped to rebuild an elementary school, where more than 900 students now have access to new computers and science equipment.
In Kentucky and Ireland, more than a dozen state-of-the-art science laboratories have been built at primary schools. Inspired by Pearse’s brother, the late Father Kevin Lyons — a priest who was dedicated to improving the lives of children — the Lyons family hopes to inspire students to have greater curiosity about the world around them.
Our initiatives also include the Alltech Vocal Scholarship Competition, which provides vocal students the opportunity to attend the University of Kentucky and join the UK Opera Theatre to pursue their musical dreams.
The ACE Foundation works to address the urgent needs of farmers and their communities amid natural disasters. When a historic hurricane caused flooding that devastated Texas farmland, Hope After Harvey was launched to support ranchers and farmers. With resources from the Pearse Lyons ACE Foundation, team members were deployed to support repairs and provide supplies.
In Australia, bushfires ravaged more than 10 million hectares in early 2020, claiming lives and killing wildlife and livestock. Farmers, ranchers and producers, who were already enduring persistent drought, were unable to source supplies, including feed. The Australia Farming Relief Fund helped provide goods and services directly to affected farmers, coordinated on the ground by Alltech family companies Alltech Lienert Australia and KEENAN Australia.
In August 2020, several Iowa communities were devastated by an extreme weather event known as a derecho, with wind gusts estimated to have reached a peak speed of 140 miles per hour. The storm slammed the Midwest, gaining strength as it plowed through Iowa farm fields, flattening corn and destroying grain bins filled with tens of millions of bushels from the previous year’s harvest. The Iowa Derecho Devastation Relief Fund provided goods and services to farmers and the local communities that were directly impacted.
To assist Eastern Kentucky residents whose communities were ravaged by floods in July 2022, the Pearse Lyons ACE Foundation donated much-needed supplies and donated funds to local agriculture groups.
“The legacy I would like to leave is, ‘we made a difference.’” –Dr. Pearse Lyons, philanthropist and founder of Alltech
A native of Dundalk, Ireland, Dr. Pearse Lyons was an innovative scientist who immigrated to the United States in the late 1970s with his young family — his wife, Deirdre, and their daughter, Aoife, and son, Mark — and a dream. His vision, to help sustain the planet and all things living on it by applying his yeast fermentation expertise to agricultural challenges.
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