Hartford medical insurer Aetna announced a three-year agreement with the U.S. Tennis Association on Wednesday to sponsor events at the U.S. Open honoring late tennis great Arthur Ashe who served on Aetna’s board of directors.
In the three-year agreement with USTA, Aetna will sponsor the Arthur Ashe Kids Day that kicks off the U.S. Open every years that includes games, music and tennis activities for families. The event benefits the USTA National Junior Tennis and Learning network.
The U.S. Open starts Monday and runs through Sept. 11 in Flushing, N.Y.
Aetna also is a cornerstone sponsor of the New Haven Open at Yale, which is the USTA tournament that takes place in Connecticut the week before the U.S. Open.
Before serving on Aetna’s board from 1982 to 1993, Ashe won Grand Slam events such as the U.S. Open, Wimbledon and the Australian Open. Ashe quit the board just before his death of AIDS in February 1993.
Aetna also created a Voice of Conscience Award handed out annually since 1994 to people who emulate Ashe’s commitment to humanitarian ideals. Ashe also served as chairman of the board at the Aetna Foundation, the company’s philanthropic organization.Â
