The United Way Community Campaign has announced three co-chairs for 2009. Chief Charles A. Teale of the Hartford Fire Department, Coach Jennifer Rizzotti of the Hartford Hawks women’s basketball team at the University of Hartford, and Shaun Mathews, executive vice president and head of the client group at ING Investment Management, will lead the annual effort to raise resources to ensure success for children, healthy and financially stable families, and a safety net of services across the 40 towns of central and northeastern Connecticut.
Teale, Rizzotti and Mathews will announce the 2009 campaign goal at the official United Way Community Campaign kickoff in Hartford on Friday, Sept. 11. The same date marks United Way Day of Caring, the largest single volunteer event in central and northeastern Connecticut. During last year’s United Way Day of Caring, more than 5,200 volunteers completed projects for local nonprofit organizations at 350 different sites. The two events are scheduled together to underscore the importance of both giving and volunteering in the local community.
The United Way Community Campaign is a joint effort of United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut and Community Health Charities of New England. The campaign, which raised $28.1 million in 2008, is the largest annual health and human service fund-raising effort in Connecticut and the second largest in New England. Contributions made through the United Way Community Campaign to Community Investment are invested in health and human services programs across a 40-town service area.
At a time when many non-profits have been hard hit by the economic downturn in terms of corporate, foundation and public funding, The Children’s Museum had a banner year. Grants donated for science and nature education at the main West Hartford location, Roaring Brook Nature Center in Canton, and through outreach to schools and youth groups statewide was $478,000 — 25 percent more than the goal for the year.
Said Kevin Sullivan, president and CEO, “This level of investment is a real vote of confidence and shows that people understand that our focus on younger children and families makes a real difference and is just as important as the focus of the new Science Center in Hartford on older children and adults. We are very grateful to our corporate and foundation supporters.”
Riverfront Recapture’s board of directors has elected David Robb as its new chair. Robb, an Avon resident, previously served as the organization’s treasurer. He succeeds Thomas F. Mullaney Jr., of West Hartford, as the nonprofit group’s chair. Robb, founding manager of Robb Re, LLC, retired from The Hartford in 2006 after a 30-year career with the company.
