WEBVTT
1
00:00:00.280 --> 00:00:02.200
Hey, it's Amanda Joe from the Country ninety two to
2
00:00:02.200 --> 00:00:06.120
five morning show here for community access and catching up
3
00:00:06.160 --> 00:00:09.599
with another awesome charity that is involved with this year's
4
00:00:09.919 --> 00:00:14.199
Birdie's for Charity at the Travelers Championship. All these participating
5
00:00:14.279 --> 00:00:17.640
charities through the Birdie's for Charity program get a fifteen
6
00:00:17.679 --> 00:00:21.760
percent match when you donate now through the Sunday of
7
00:00:21.839 --> 00:00:25.960
Travelers through Travelers Championship dot com and they get that match.
8
00:00:26.280 --> 00:00:30.320
Thanks to Webster Bank and Etna, over two hundred and
9
00:00:30.359 --> 00:00:34.000
twenty charities are participating this year and right now we're
10
00:00:34.039 --> 00:00:38.479
here with Mark Moriarty, the chief executive officer at First
11
00:00:38.520 --> 00:00:39.479
T Connecticut.
12
00:00:39.560 --> 00:00:43.119
How are you doing well and looking forward to the
13
00:00:43.119 --> 00:00:46.719
Travelers Championship in not too not too far away.
14
00:00:46.920 --> 00:00:50.640
Yeah, you know, you're the first, you know, golf related
15
00:00:50.719 --> 00:00:55.119
charity I've talked to. So I'm assuming you're a good golfer.
16
00:00:55.200 --> 00:01:01.240
Well, that's always a subjective answer, but it's an interesting point.
17
00:01:01.320 --> 00:01:03.920
So right first, Teakne, I am absolutely a golfer. It's
18
00:01:03.920 --> 00:01:06.640
what I love, it's what I do and what we
19
00:01:06.680 --> 00:01:09.280
get to do on a daily basis is introduce the
20
00:01:09.280 --> 00:01:12.079
game of golf to young people across the state. Let
21
00:01:12.079 --> 00:01:15.519
them know that whether they're playing golf or learning anything new,
22
00:01:15.840 --> 00:01:18.760
you don't have to be really good right away. So
23
00:01:18.879 --> 00:01:21.439
a lot of what we do as importantly is our
24
00:01:21.840 --> 00:01:25.359
life skills curriculum and in exposing them to all of those,
25
00:01:25.519 --> 00:01:28.200
you know, skills that will help them know it's okay
26
00:01:28.319 --> 00:01:30.760
if you're not you know, doing it. You know you're
27
00:01:30.760 --> 00:01:32.640
not the best golfer in the world, you know.
28
00:01:32.719 --> 00:01:35.920
I always you know, music in sports for me, I
29
00:01:35.959 --> 00:01:40.319
found have always been you know, great uniters and sports.
30
00:01:40.400 --> 00:01:42.760
I will say, hands down to anybody who's like, get
31
00:01:42.799 --> 00:01:45.959
your kids involved whatever it is, you know, find something
32
00:01:45.959 --> 00:01:47.599
that they like and they want to learn more about,
33
00:01:47.640 --> 00:01:52.840
because really you do learn important life skills by working
34
00:01:52.879 --> 00:01:55.239
at something like that at such a young age. So
35
00:01:55.400 --> 00:01:58.680
what what's the age range that your program covers?
36
00:01:58.879 --> 00:02:00.959
So we work with young peop people as young as
37
00:02:01.000 --> 00:02:03.480
five at some of our sites. Oh Wow classes for
38
00:02:03.519 --> 00:02:05.799
five and six year olds, which is a you know,
39
00:02:06.000 --> 00:02:09.680
unique and different and very exciting group of young people
40
00:02:09.680 --> 00:02:14.280
to work with. But traditionally, our programming technically begins at
41
00:02:14.319 --> 00:02:18.080
seven and you can stay involved with first T in
42
00:02:18.159 --> 00:02:21.400
a programming and or a coaching manner until the time
43
00:02:21.439 --> 00:02:23.360
you go off to college. So we really are lucky
44
00:02:23.360 --> 00:02:26.080
to work with young people throughout the duration of their
45
00:02:26.240 --> 00:02:26.840
of their youth.
46
00:02:27.120 --> 00:02:30.319
Wow. And if somebody donates to you, guys, what kind
47
00:02:30.360 --> 00:02:32.680
of programs are they supporting.
48
00:02:32.719 --> 00:02:37.439
Well, there's you know, they're supporting golf as our classroom, right,
49
00:02:37.479 --> 00:02:39.960
So we're absolutely using the sport of golf, as you said,
50
00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:43.280
to bring young people in, get them excited, and then
51
00:02:43.360 --> 00:02:48.199
once they're here. Any donation, including those from Bertie's for Charity,
52
00:02:48.319 --> 00:02:53.520
are supporting are trained and specialized coaches who are working
53
00:02:53.560 --> 00:02:58.400
on that curriculum exposure. So we're creating activity based programming
54
00:02:58.520 --> 00:03:01.759
where they're having a good time learning with friends new
55
00:03:01.840 --> 00:03:06.599
and old from across the community. And you know, we're
56
00:03:06.639 --> 00:03:10.319
really most interested in setting them up for success with
57
00:03:10.319 --> 00:03:12.639
whatever they do in life, whether that be in the
58
00:03:12.639 --> 00:03:15.919
game of golf, in the classroom or in our community.
59
00:03:16.159 --> 00:03:18.159
And do you have any personal stories of kids that
60
00:03:18.199 --> 00:03:20.319
have gone through the program and then maybe gone off
61
00:03:20.680 --> 00:03:21.840
to play in college.
62
00:03:22.080 --> 00:03:24.639
We do. Yeah, We're very lucky to have really an
63
00:03:24.680 --> 00:03:29.159
amazingly talented group of alumni. And actually this year during
64
00:03:29.199 --> 00:03:31.560
the Travelers First he is going to be hosting what's
65
00:03:31.599 --> 00:03:34.800
called an alumni meetup right, So an invitation for young
66
00:03:34.840 --> 00:03:37.120
people who are now working in the community to come
67
00:03:37.120 --> 00:03:40.479
back together. And so I've been at the chapter for
68
00:03:40.520 --> 00:03:43.639
fifteen years. Amazingly enough, when I look at our guest
69
00:03:43.680 --> 00:03:46.639
list for that event, it is the who's who of
70
00:03:46.759 --> 00:03:51.639
the most impressive young people. For example, Jacob Ecky is
71
00:03:51.639 --> 00:03:54.000
a young man from Cheshire who I went to Pebble
72
00:03:54.000 --> 00:03:55.879
Beach with when he was a senior in high school
73
00:03:55.879 --> 00:04:01.080
for a national event. He went down and a college degree,
74
00:04:01.960 --> 00:04:05.159
did an internship with Senator Murphy and is still working
75
00:04:05.159 --> 00:04:09.240
on Senator Murphy's staff in Hartford. Now, so you know,
76
00:04:09.400 --> 00:04:12.199
just one example of a young man who loves the game,
77
00:04:12.360 --> 00:04:15.240
is very talented, certainly would beat me ten times out
78
00:04:15.280 --> 00:04:18.439
of ten, but beyond that, he just is such an
79
00:04:18.439 --> 00:04:21.759
impressive young person. Now, who's you know, certainly making a
80
00:04:21.759 --> 00:04:25.399
difference and making an impact through his chosen profession.
81
00:04:25.639 --> 00:04:29.040
Super cool. And if you were to give anybody you
82
00:04:29.040 --> 00:04:32.560
know a tip that's just starting to really work on
83
00:04:32.600 --> 00:04:34.439
their golf game, what would it.
84
00:04:34.399 --> 00:04:38.120
Be Give yourself some grace? You know, Again, with any
85
00:04:38.199 --> 00:04:42.240
new skill, none of us are necessarily set up to
86
00:04:42.279 --> 00:04:45.000
succeed right away, and so when it comes to golf.
87
00:04:45.480 --> 00:04:47.800
I would say, you know, certainly give yourself some grace
88
00:04:48.040 --> 00:04:51.120
and if you are a parent or a caregiver for
89
00:04:51.160 --> 00:04:54.600
a young person, have them, you know, learn the game
90
00:04:54.600 --> 00:04:56.839
in a fun and exciting way. We happen to think
91
00:04:56.839 --> 00:04:59.639
firste is a great way to do that. But I'm
92
00:04:59.680 --> 00:05:03.399
a much proponent of all all young people, especially having
93
00:05:03.399 --> 00:05:06.720
a chance to try the game and if they love it, what,
94
00:05:06.720 --> 00:05:09.800
what are the possibilities they are? They are really you know, endless.
95
00:05:09.879 --> 00:05:12.319
And is there any golfers you're in particular looking forward
96
00:05:12.319 --> 00:05:13.720
to seeing it travelers this year?
97
00:05:14.720 --> 00:05:18.720
Well, we've got two first Tee Ambassadors that play on
98
00:05:18.759 --> 00:05:22.800
the tour who are aspiring to get themselves qualified, Austin
99
00:05:22.879 --> 00:05:26.680
Smotherman and Alex Smalley, so we'd be extra excited to
100
00:05:26.680 --> 00:05:31.079
see them if they make the criteria. But but honestly,
101
00:05:31.160 --> 00:05:34.040
I mean, we're so lucky in Cromwell to have you know,
102
00:05:34.079 --> 00:05:37.160
the very best players in the world. I'm thrilled to
103
00:05:37.199 --> 00:05:40.560
see them all, and uh, you know, for our young people.
104
00:05:41.199 --> 00:05:43.959
Last year we actually had an activation with Denny McCarthy,
105
00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:46.120
who was a participant at year's event. He came out
106
00:05:46.160 --> 00:05:49.600
to Goodwin Park in Hartford and spent an hour hands
107
00:05:49.600 --> 00:05:52.040
on with a with a huge group of young people,
108
00:05:52.079 --> 00:05:54.680
and again, what a role model to talk about what
109
00:05:54.800 --> 00:05:57.680
he's been able to do through golf and and just
110
00:05:57.720 --> 00:05:59.759
be an example for young people. So I'm looking forward
111
00:05:59.759 --> 00:06:03.040
to say them all and hopefully picking up a tip
112
00:06:03.160 --> 00:06:05.600
or two for any of them who I can see
113
00:06:05.600 --> 00:06:06.000
in action.
114
00:06:06.360 --> 00:06:09.439
That's awesome. So first t Connecticut dot org. That's where
115
00:06:09.439 --> 00:06:13.399
you can go to learn more. But if you want
116
00:06:13.439 --> 00:06:17.560
to make that get them that fifteen percent match, make
117
00:06:17.600 --> 00:06:22.879
sure you make your donation through the Travelers Championship dot
118
00:06:22.920 --> 00:06:27.720
com website. Mark, thank you so much for joining us today.
119
00:06:28.040 --> 00:06:29.720
Thanks for having me see you in June.
120
00:06:29.879 --> 00:06:30.279
Yeah,
1
00:00:00.280 --> 00:00:02.200
Hey, it's Amanda Joe from the Country ninety two to
2
00:00:02.200 --> 00:00:06.120
five morning show here for community access and catching up
3
00:00:06.160 --> 00:00:09.599
with another awesome charity that is involved with this year's
4
00:00:09.919 --> 00:00:14.199
Birdie's for Charity at the Travelers Championship. All these participating
5
00:00:14.279 --> 00:00:17.640
charities through the Birdie's for Charity program get a fifteen
6
00:00:17.679 --> 00:00:21.760
percent match when you donate now through the Sunday of
7
00:00:21.839 --> 00:00:25.960
Travelers through Travelers Championship dot com and they get that match.
8
00:00:26.280 --> 00:00:30.320
Thanks to Webster Bank and Etna, over two hundred and
9
00:00:30.359 --> 00:00:34.000
twenty charities are participating this year and right now we're
10
00:00:34.039 --> 00:00:38.479
here with Mark Moriarty, the chief executive officer at First
11
00:00:38.520 --> 00:00:39.479
T Connecticut.
12
00:00:39.560 --> 00:00:43.119
How are you doing well and looking forward to the
13
00:00:43.119 --> 00:00:46.719
Travelers Championship in not too not too far away.
14
00:00:46.920 --> 00:00:50.640
Yeah, you know, you're the first, you know, golf related
15
00:00:50.719 --> 00:00:55.119
charity I've talked to. So I'm assuming you're a good golfer.
16
00:00:55.200 --> 00:01:01.240
Well, that's always a subjective answer, but it's an interesting point.
17
00:01:01.320 --> 00:01:03.920
So right first, Teakne, I am absolutely a golfer. It's
18
00:01:03.920 --> 00:01:06.640
what I love, it's what I do and what we
19
00:01:06.680 --> 00:01:09.280
get to do on a daily basis is introduce the
20
00:01:09.280 --> 00:01:12.079
game of golf to young people across the state. Let
21
00:01:12.079 --> 00:01:15.519
them know that whether they're playing golf or learning anything new,
22
00:01:15.840 --> 00:01:18.760
you don't have to be really good right away. So
23
00:01:18.879 --> 00:01:21.439
a lot of what we do as importantly is our
24
00:01:21.840 --> 00:01:25.359
life skills curriculum and in exposing them to all of those,
25
00:01:25.519 --> 00:01:28.200
you know, skills that will help them know it's okay
26
00:01:28.319 --> 00:01:30.760
if you're not you know, doing it. You know you're
27
00:01:30.760 --> 00:01:32.640
not the best golfer in the world, you know.
28
00:01:32.719 --> 00:01:35.920
I always you know, music in sports for me, I
29
00:01:35.959 --> 00:01:40.319
found have always been you know, great uniters and sports.
30
00:01:40.400 --> 00:01:42.760
I will say, hands down to anybody who's like, get
31
00:01:42.799 --> 00:01:45.959
your kids involved whatever it is, you know, find something
32
00:01:45.959 --> 00:01:47.599
that they like and they want to learn more about,
33
00:01:47.640 --> 00:01:52.840
because really you do learn important life skills by working
34
00:01:52.879 --> 00:01:55.239
at something like that at such a young age. So
35
00:01:55.400 --> 00:01:58.680
what what's the age range that your program covers?
36
00:01:58.879 --> 00:02:00.959
So we work with young peop people as young as
37
00:02:01.000 --> 00:02:03.480
five at some of our sites. Oh Wow classes for
38
00:02:03.519 --> 00:02:05.799
five and six year olds, which is a you know,
39
00:02:06.000 --> 00:02:09.680
unique and different and very exciting group of young people
40
00:02:09.680 --> 00:02:14.280
to work with. But traditionally, our programming technically begins at
41
00:02:14.319 --> 00:02:18.080
seven and you can stay involved with first T in
42
00:02:18.159 --> 00:02:21.400
a programming and or a coaching manner until the time
43
00:02:21.439 --> 00:02:23.360
you go off to college. So we really are lucky
44
00:02:23.360 --> 00:02:26.080
to work with young people throughout the duration of their
45
00:02:26.240 --> 00:02:26.840
of their youth.
46
00:02:27.120 --> 00:02:30.319
Wow. And if somebody donates to you, guys, what kind
47
00:02:30.360 --> 00:02:32.680
of programs are they supporting.
48
00:02:32.719 --> 00:02:37.439
Well, there's you know, they're supporting golf as our classroom, right,
49
00:02:37.479 --> 00:02:39.960
So we're absolutely using the sport of golf, as you said,
50
00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:43.280
to bring young people in, get them excited, and then
51
00:02:43.360 --> 00:02:48.199
once they're here. Any donation, including those from Bertie's for Charity,
52
00:02:48.319 --> 00:02:53.520
are supporting are trained and specialized coaches who are working
53
00:02:53.560 --> 00:02:58.400
on that curriculum exposure. So we're creating activity based programming
54
00:02:58.520 --> 00:03:01.759
where they're having a good time learning with friends new
55
00:03:01.840 --> 00:03:06.599
and old from across the community. And you know, we're
56
00:03:06.639 --> 00:03:10.319
really most interested in setting them up for success with
57
00:03:10.319 --> 00:03:12.639
whatever they do in life, whether that be in the
58
00:03:12.639 --> 00:03:15.919
game of golf, in the classroom or in our community.
59
00:03:16.159 --> 00:03:18.159
And do you have any personal stories of kids that
60
00:03:18.199 --> 00:03:20.319
have gone through the program and then maybe gone off
61
00:03:20.680 --> 00:03:21.840
to play in college.
62
00:03:22.080 --> 00:03:24.639
We do. Yeah, We're very lucky to have really an
63
00:03:24.680 --> 00:03:29.159
amazingly talented group of alumni. And actually this year during
64
00:03:29.199 --> 00:03:31.560
the Travelers First he is going to be hosting what's
65
00:03:31.599 --> 00:03:34.800
called an alumni meetup right, So an invitation for young
66
00:03:34.840 --> 00:03:37.120
people who are now working in the community to come
67
00:03:37.120 --> 00:03:40.479
back together. And so I've been at the chapter for
68
00:03:40.520 --> 00:03:43.639
fifteen years. Amazingly enough, when I look at our guest
69
00:03:43.680 --> 00:03:46.639
list for that event, it is the who's who of
70
00:03:46.759 --> 00:03:51.639
the most impressive young people. For example, Jacob Ecky is
71
00:03:51.639 --> 00:03:54.000
a young man from Cheshire who I went to Pebble
72
00:03:54.000 --> 00:03:55.879
Beach with when he was a senior in high school
73
00:03:55.879 --> 00:04:01.080
for a national event. He went down and a college degree,
74
00:04:01.960 --> 00:04:05.159
did an internship with Senator Murphy and is still working
75
00:04:05.159 --> 00:04:09.240
on Senator Murphy's staff in Hartford. Now, so you know,
76
00:04:09.400 --> 00:04:12.199
just one example of a young man who loves the game,
77
00:04:12.360 --> 00:04:15.240
is very talented, certainly would beat me ten times out
78
00:04:15.280 --> 00:04:18.439
of ten, but beyond that, he just is such an
79
00:04:18.439 --> 00:04:21.759
impressive young person. Now, who's you know, certainly making a
80
00:04:21.759 --> 00:04:25.399
difference and making an impact through his chosen profession.
81
00:04:25.639 --> 00:04:29.040
Super cool. And if you were to give anybody you
82
00:04:29.040 --> 00:04:32.560
know a tip that's just starting to really work on
83
00:04:32.600 --> 00:04:34.439
their golf game, what would it.
84
00:04:34.399 --> 00:04:38.120
Be Give yourself some grace? You know, Again, with any
85
00:04:38.199 --> 00:04:42.240
new skill, none of us are necessarily set up to
86
00:04:42.279 --> 00:04:45.000
succeed right away, and so when it comes to golf.
87
00:04:45.480 --> 00:04:47.800
I would say, you know, certainly give yourself some grace
88
00:04:48.040 --> 00:04:51.120
and if you are a parent or a caregiver for
89
00:04:51.160 --> 00:04:54.600
a young person, have them, you know, learn the game
90
00:04:54.600 --> 00:04:56.839
in a fun and exciting way. We happen to think
91
00:04:56.839 --> 00:04:59.639
firste is a great way to do that. But I'm
92
00:04:59.680 --> 00:05:03.399
a much proponent of all all young people, especially having
93
00:05:03.399 --> 00:05:06.720
a chance to try the game and if they love it, what,
94
00:05:06.720 --> 00:05:09.800
what are the possibilities they are? They are really you know, endless.
95
00:05:09.879 --> 00:05:12.319
And is there any golfers you're in particular looking forward
96
00:05:12.319 --> 00:05:13.720
to seeing it travelers this year?
97
00:05:14.720 --> 00:05:18.720
Well, we've got two first Tee Ambassadors that play on
98
00:05:18.759 --> 00:05:22.800
the tour who are aspiring to get themselves qualified, Austin
99
00:05:22.879 --> 00:05:26.680
Smotherman and Alex Smalley, so we'd be extra excited to
100
00:05:26.680 --> 00:05:31.079
see them if they make the criteria. But but honestly,
101
00:05:31.160 --> 00:05:34.040
I mean, we're so lucky in Cromwell to have you know,
102
00:05:34.079 --> 00:05:37.160
the very best players in the world. I'm thrilled to
103
00:05:37.199 --> 00:05:40.560
see them all, and uh, you know, for our young people.
104
00:05:41.199 --> 00:05:43.959
Last year we actually had an activation with Denny McCarthy,
105
00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:46.120
who was a participant at year's event. He came out
106
00:05:46.160 --> 00:05:49.600
to Goodwin Park in Hartford and spent an hour hands
107
00:05:49.600 --> 00:05:52.040
on with a with a huge group of young people,
108
00:05:52.079 --> 00:05:54.680
and again, what a role model to talk about what
109
00:05:54.800 --> 00:05:57.680
he's been able to do through golf and and just
110
00:05:57.720 --> 00:05:59.759
be an example for young people. So I'm looking forward
111
00:05:59.759 --> 00:06:03.040
to say them all and hopefully picking up a tip
112
00:06:03.160 --> 00:06:05.600
or two for any of them who I can see
113
00:06:05.600 --> 00:06:06.000
in action.
114
00:06:06.360 --> 00:06:09.439
That's awesome. So first t Connecticut dot org. That's where
115
00:06:09.439 --> 00:06:13.399
you can go to learn more. But if you want
116
00:06:13.439 --> 00:06:17.560
to make that get them that fifteen percent match, make
117
00:06:17.600 --> 00:06:22.879
sure you make your donation through the Travelers Championship dot
118
00:06:22.920 --> 00:06:27.720
com website. Mark, thank you so much for joining us today.
119
00:06:28.040 --> 00:06:29.720
Thanks for having me see you in June.
120
00:06:29.879 --> 00:06:30.279
Yeah,
