On Wednesday, April 28, 2010 hundreds gathered at the Crowne Plaza in Cromwell to celebrate Middlesex United Way’s 75th anniversary and to honor “Live United Champions,” nearly eighty companies, organizations and individuals who helped to raise $1.9 million for the 2009/10 Middlesex United Way Campaign.
Chair of the 2009/10 Campaign, David Giuffrida, presented the top honor of the day, the Corporate Spirit Award, to Aetna. Aetna runs the fifth largest campaign in Middlesex County, they are a top Platinum level sponsor and they participate in the Loaned Executive program. In addition, the company provides a $10,000 challenge match each year for new gifts to the campaign.
Other top honors included the Leadership Award, presented to Laura Pedersen of A.R. Mazzotta Employment Specialists and the Funding Partner Achievement Award, presented to the YMCA of Northern Middlesex County. The YMCA was one of the original “member agencies” of the Middletown Community Chest, United Way’s initial name when it was established 75 years ago. The agency was also the site of the very first campaign meeting.
Michelle Raffles recieved the Coordinator of the Year Award for her outstanding leadership at Cooper-Atkins Corporation in their United Way campaign. Special achievement awards were distributed to Comcast, Godiva Chocolatier, Mahoney Sabol & Company LLP, New Alliance Bank, and Regional School District #13 (Durham-Middlefield).
The event concluded with David Giuffrida turning over the reins to one of the three 75th anniversary campaign co-chairs, Chandler Howard, president and CEO of Liberty Bank. Chandler Howard is joined by Larry McHugh, president of the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce, and Michael Roth, president of Wesleyan University. Liberty Bank, known as the Middletown Savings Bank in 1935, provided space for the Community Chest’s original organization and campaign headquarters.
Chris Montross, Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer of the Aetna Foundation, accepts the Corporate Spirit Award, United Way’s highest honor for a company running a United Way campaign. He is pictured with Martha Temple, Northeast Region Head at Aetna and a member of Middlesex United Way’s Board of Directors. Martha is holding Aetna’s “Top Ten” Award.
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