Hartford Business Journal

22 Hartford Business Journal • July 22, 2019 • www.HartfordBusiness.com SPONSORED CONTENT A recent example of this community-focused partnership is the Caring for Kids Cereal Drive. Initiated by Trinity Health and Connecticut Children's, the goal of the drive was to collect cereal for local food pantries. "The real issue here is food insecurity, because breakfast doesn't take a summer break," according to Brown, "That is the underlying condition we are trying to address and alleviate." Hartford Athletic joined forces with Trinity Health and hosted a cereal drive at their June 16 home game, collecting hundreds of servings to be distributed locally. Future community initiatives will include a community picnic, health enhancement programs, a sock drive, and a Walk for Multiple Sclerosis in the fall. Hartford Athletic's Charlupski says these community initiatives are of the "utmost importance to our club" and serve to strengthen the partnership with Trinity. While it might be the newest, the Hartford Athletic partnership is not Saint Francis' or Trinity Health's first foray into the wide world of sports. In fact, this year Saint Francis celebrated thirty years of partnership with the Travelers Tournament. As with the soccer franchise, the relationship with the Travelers is multi-faceted. Saint Francis provides all the on-course medical services for players and visitors to the multi-day event in Cromwell. Trinity Health also hosted (along with Bear's Barbeque) the "Patriot's Outpost," which offers complimentary admission, food and beverages to military veterans. The Outpost is always packed with veterans and has become one of the most popular spots on the course. In the FanZone, Trinity Health hosted a "Family Rest and Recharge Zone" replete with changing stations and breastfeeding rooms for mothers and their children. "There are several common threads between all of our sports partnerships," said Dr. Rodis. "It starts with a real commitment to the community, and a desire to participate and support the strengthening of the communities we serve. From there we build on our medical services, which we believe are the best in the region. And finally there is the community outreach aspect, which allows us to move outside of the hospital and reach people in different settings. Whether it is Hartford Athletic, the Travelers, or the Yardgoats, we are there with a similar commitment to our mission, which is to be a transforming presence in our community." Healthcare is a rapidly changing industry, and progressive, perhaps unexpected approaches will become the new normal. Trinity Health believes it has found a winning formula by combining sports, health, and community outreach. The leaders of Hartford Athletic agree. "Our title partnership with Trinity Health Of New England has been the perfect start for our professional soccer club," said Charlupski. "We could not be more thrilled to partner with a stalwart of this community." 24 Hartford Business Journal • July 22, 2019 www.HartfordBusiness.com " " "It starts with a real commitment to the community, and a desire to participate and support the strengthening of the communities we serve."

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