By Marianne Sullivan, Source Senior Staff
Writer:
The Anthem Blue
Cross and Blue Shield Foundation has awarded a $100,000 grant to the Shoreline
Greenway Trail–the largest corporate donation in the trail’s history–and an
enthusiastic crowd of supporters, bundled against the cold winds blowing across
the open fields at Hammonasset State Park, gathered Thursday to celebrate the
occasion.
The grant will be
combined with other smaller grants and contributions to build the Hammonasset Beach section of trail. The Shoreline
Greenway Trail is a 25-mile, multi-use trail to be built from Lighthouse Point
in New Haven to Hammonasset Beach
Park. It is being built
section by section in the four shoreline towns of East Haven, Branford, Guilford, and Madison.
The $100,000 grant
was awarded through the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation’s Healthy
Generations Program, a multi-generational initiative to help improve public
health outcomes in Connecticut
and other states served by the foundation.
At Thursday’s public
groundbreaking, Anthem President David R. Fusco, who grew up near Lighthouse
Point, said he was particularly pleased that the Anthem grant would benefit the
shoreline communities.
“Projects like this
that encourage people of all ages to increase their physical activity help
promote a healthier way of life in our communities,” Fusco said. “They also
support and protect our environment, and that truly makes the Shoreline Greenway
Trail a win-win for everyone.”
Chip Angle, chair of
the trail organization, thanked Fusco and Anthem, welcoming then as partners in
the Shoreline Greenway Trail effort. He also thanked the volunteers who have
contributed hundreds of hours of work on this all-volunteer effort.
“With this grant,
and with the support we have received from our state legislators and members of
Congress, we are actually seeing the trail built,” he said.
The Shoreline
Greenway promotes public health by providing an accessible, attractive, safe
venue for moderate daily exercise for residents and visitors of all ages. The
trail’s construction–paving in some areas, compacted stone dust or boardwalk in
others–makes it particularly attractive to families on bicycles, parents pushing
strollers, and people of any age using wheelchairs, Betsy Regan of Shoreline
Greenway said. The route, designed to connect school campuses, train stations,
and town centers, allows it to serve as an alternative, non-motorized
transportation option.
Through its
charitable giving, the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation promotes
the company’s commitment to enhance the health and well-being of individuals
and families in the communities Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield serves.
Pictured: The
Shoreline Greenway Trail and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation
celebrated a new partnership Nov. 20. The foundation made a $100,000 grant to
the trail organization. Pictured here at the groundbreaking celebration are,
from left. Jim Augur and Dr. Peter Bowes, both of Anthem, Branford Selectman
Fran Walsh, State Rep. Deb Heinrich, State Senator Ed Meyer, David Fusco,
president of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Shoreline Greenway Chair Chip
Angle, State Rep. Patricia Widlitz, and First Selectman Al Goldberg.
Photo by Marianne Sullivan