Travelers benefits over 100 charities

The Travelers Championship officially announced Wednesday morning that the 2020 tournament held in

June generated more than

$1.6 million toward its 115 charities.

Among those organizations benefiting are two new ones: CT-4, a non-profit that is helping fund COVID-19 relief efforts across the state; and the University of New Haven’s Center for Advanced Policing and Tow Youth Justice Institute, which is receiving a grant from Travelers for its program that will help train and educate police officers to help improve their relationships in their communities.

Travelers made the announcement in a zoom call on Wednesday that included a panel discussion about the organizations. Andy Bessette, the executive vice president and chief administrative officer for Travelers, praised what both organizations are doing for the community.

“What they are doing for the communities of Connecticut is critical,” Bessette said. “This is our home, the place we love. We have to take care of ourselves. If we don’t take care of ourselves, I don’t know who is going to take care of us.”

Dr. Lorenzo Boyd, the vice president of diversity and inclusion at the University of New Haven, represents the Center for Advanced Policing at the university as its director. He said the charity dollars from Travelers have already gone toward paying for training for police to help with the “real disconnect between the police and the communities, particularly communities of color” and instead build those relationships.