In collaboration with the Travelers Championship and through the generosity of ConnectiCare®, we hosted a special baby shower for 40 military moms-to-be on Wednesday, June 8, at TPC River Highlands (1 Golf Club Road, Cromwell, CT 06416.) All of the honorees were spouses of deployed members of the National Guard and local bases including Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton – or in some cases, are active duty military members themselves.
WFSB-TV Morning Anchor Nicole Nalepa, who is expecting her second child this summer, served as the guest host and emcee for the event, which was the 11th shower hosted by Operation Shower in collaboration with the Travelers Championship.
“It’s a sincere privilege to share in this exciting milestone and have an opportunity to express our appreciation to all of these courageous women, whose service and sacrifice deserve to be recognized,” said Travelers Championship Tournament Director Nathan Grube. “For more than a decade, the Travelers Championship has been honored to host this meaningful event as part of our long-standing support for our military.”
Sponsored by ConnectiCare with support from the Travelers Championship, Travelers, and the PGA TOUR’s Birdies for the Brave, the “Special Delivery”-themed event included lunch, raffle prizes, and the presentation of Operation Shower’s signature “Shower In A Box” to each of the moms. Each gift box included high-quality products for mothers and babies that were donated by companies including books from Tish Rabe Books, diaper bags from Skip Hop, plus some extra special gifts from the Baby Blossom Co., and Delta Children.
Gorgeous shower graphics by Hostess with the Mostess and balloon garland from Pink Flamingo Party Co. helped bring the theme to life!
Beyond the array of tangible items the moms received, the most treasured gift of all may be the opportunity for the moms to connect with other military women in the same situation, according to Operation Shower Founder and Chief Shower Officer LeAnn Morrissey.
“Operation Shower was created to honor military moms and moms-to-be for everything they do in service to our country,” said Morrissey. “Whether they are serving on the front lines or keeping everything running smoothly at home while their loved ones proudly serve, these moms deserve our support, our thanks, our love, and an opportunity to celebrate together. We are grateful to the Travelers Championship, ConnectiCare, and the PGA TOUR for making this special shower possible.”
“Since 2014, ConnectiCare has been bringing Operation Shower events to expectant moms. Even during these uncertain times, we remain committed to finding a safe way to host the event,” said Kim Kann, assistant vice president, public relations & corporate communications at ConnectiCare & WellSpark Health. “Their service and sacrifice deserve to be recognized, and ConnectiCare is proud to celebrate them.”
To view the full photo album with pictures from Kate Lauren Studios, click here.
About ConnectiCare
ConnectiCare is a leading health plan in the state of Connecticut. ConnectiCare has been dedicated to making Connecticut a healthier place to live and work since the company was founded in 1981. ConnectiCare has a full range of products and services for businesses, municipalities, individuals, and those who are Medicare-eligible and leads the individual market in the state. ConnectiCare subsidiary, WellSpark Health, is a national wellbeing, disease prevention and management company. ConnectiCare is part of the EmblemHealth family of companies. For more information, visit connecticare.com.
About the Travelers Championship
The Travelers Championship, held in Cromwell, Connecticut, is one of the premier events on the PGA TOUR and part of the FedExCup series. The tournament proudly supports the TOUR’s Tradition of Giving Back by donating 100% of net proceeds to charities. Travelers, a leading provider of property and casualty insurance for auto, home and business, is the Official Property Casualty Insurance Provider of the PGA TOUR. The company became the tournament’s title sponsor in 2007. Travelers has been doing business in the Hartford community for more than 160 years and has been a corporate sponsor of this event each year since its inception in 1952. Complete details are available at TravelersChampionship.com.
About Birdies for the Brave®
A joint effort by PGA TOUR, Inc., PGA TOUR Charities, Inc. and the TPC Network, Birdies for the Brave is a national military outreach initiative dedicated to honoring and showing appreciation to the courageous men and women of our U.S. Armed Forces and their families. Birdies for the Brave was originally created in 2004 by PGA TOUR player Phil Mickelson and his wife, Amy, in collaboration with Glenn Cohen, to raise funds for combat-injured troops. Thanks to their vision and the passionate support of PGA TOUR players, tournament fans, volunteers, TPC club members and corporate sponsors, Birdies for the Brave has grown exponentially across the PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions and Web.com Tour and raised more than $20 million for military homefront groups that provide critical programs and services to meet the specialized needs of wounded heroes and military families. For more information, please visit www.birdiesforthebrave.org or follow them on Facebook.
