CRT gala raises funds for vet home

The Community Renewal Team celebrated its 50th anniversary with a gala themed “50 Years of Changing Lives” at the Hartford Marriott. The event raised more than $50,000 for the future Veterans Landing residence, an assisted living facility being built on the Newington Veterans Affairs Campus. The $28 million project will feature 103 units for veterans and their spouses. The keynote speaker was Mark Kennedy Shriver, senior vice president for strategic initiatives at Save the Children. Shriver is the son of Sargent Shriver, who is widely credited as being the “architect” of President Johnson’s ‘War on Poverty.’ Pictured are, from left, Shriver; Lena Rodriguez, CRT’s president and CEO; and Linda J. Kelly, president of Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, a CRT partner and funder.