Hartford Marathon Foundation and Webster Bank Collaborate to Support Local Trails, Active Communities in 2022 RiMaConn Relay 

Hartford Marathon Foundation and Webster Bank Collaborate to Support Local Trails, Active Communities in 2022 RiMaConn Relay 

 Three-state relay event draws support for East Coast Greenway through $5,000 Webster Bank donation  

GLASTONBURY, Conn., AUGUST 19, 2022 – The Hartford Marathon Foundation (HMF) is in the final stages of preparation for its third annual three-state endurance event RiMaConn Relay, presented by founding sponsor Webster Bank.

The relay race on August 27, 2022 features teams of three or six runners traveling through 95 miles of southern New England, spanning 21 communities in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. The RiMaConn course utilizes the scenic trails of the East Coast Greenway.

HMF’s ongoing partnership with Webster was introduced with the bank’s support of the inaugural relay event in 2019 and continued with a family-focused hiking program in 2020 when the RiMaConn Relay had to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The race returned in 2021 and continues this month with a strong commitment to wide-ranging sustainability measures from locally sourced food and reusable water bottles to responsibly produced race shirts.

As part of its continued commitment to the environment, Webster Bank will present the East Coast Greenway with a $5,000 donation at 5:30 p.m. on August 23 at Hog River Brewing, 1429 Park St., Hartford, CT. This gift is made on behalf of all Webster colleagues and will be used to maintain the protection and preservation of the trails.

“Webster is proud to continue our sponsorship of RiMaConn and our partnerships with HMF and the East Coast Greenway. We’re dedicated to sustainability and good corporate citizenship, and we’re committed to making meaningful investments in the communities we serve,” said Marissa Weidner, Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer at Webster Bank.

The East Coast Greenway supports the preservation and development of safe, accessible spaces that connect people to nature across 15 states and 450 communities including the Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island trails of the RiMaConn Relay. Since the relay’s inaugural year, Webster has donated $10,000 to support the greenway.

To encourage youth running and enjoyment of the East Coast Greenway trails, RiMaConn Relay will include a high school running program for a second year. The WilliHart Youth Relay 2022 will provide a pared down relay experience for high school teams of athletes to run the final portion of RiMaConn Relay, 26 miles from Willimantic to Hartford. Teams from East Hartford High School and Manchester High School will participate, led by coaches from their schools’ running program.

“The region’s trail systems are a treasure, and this unique event focuses on sustainable and environmentally responsible ways for hundreds of runners to experience beautiful areas that they otherwise may never visit,” said Beth Shluger, Hartford Marathon Foundation CEO and founder. “We are so grateful for Webster Bank’s continued support of the event and of the East Coast Greenway and are excited to host RiMaConn Relay for a third year.”

Webster will once again field a six-person team to run the 95-mile relay. Matt Smith, Head of Digital Banking and Banking as a Service (BaaS) will serve as captain and he will be joined by Luis Massiani, Chief Operating Officer; Jessica Croce, Compliance Manager; Nancy Feeley, Commercial Banking Portfolio Manager; Renee Robichaud, Customer Care Center and Jeff Smith, Deposit Operations Manager.

For more information about the RiMaConn Relay or to volunteer on race day, visit www.runthegreenway.com.

About the Hartford Marathon Foundation

The Hartford Marathon Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit organization founded in 1994 to create and manage fitness events that inspire people to be healthy and fit. Located in Glastonbury, Connecticut, the Hartford Marathon Foundation organizes 32 annual athletic events, including the Eversource Hartford Marathon. For more information, visit www.HartfordMarathon.com and on Facebook at HMF Events.

About Webster  

Webster Bank (“Webster”) is a leading commercial bank in the Northeast that provides a wide range of digital and traditional financial solutions across three differentiated lines of business: Commercial Banking, Consumer Banking and its HSA Bank division, one of the country’s largest providers of employee benefits solutions. Headquartered in Stamford, CT, Webster is a values-driven organization with $68 billion in assets. Its core footprint spans the northeastern U.S. from New York to Massachusetts, with certain businesses operating in extended geographies. Webster Bank is a member of the FDIC and an equal housing lender. For more information about Webster, including past press releases and the latest annual report, visit the Webster website at www.websterbank.com.

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CONTACT:

HMF: Elizabeth Cowles, CJ Public Relations, 860.426.9991 x20, ecowles@cjpr.com

For Webster Bank: Amanda Driscoll, Adams & Knight, Inc., 860.676.2300 x160, amanda.driscoll@adamsknight.com