The Meaning Behind the Number 60

http://www.nhregister.com/sports/20130829/lampo-family-continues-fathers-tradition-in-new-haven-road-race

Lampo family continues father’s tradition in New Haven Road Race

By Morgan Schwenn, Special to the Register

POSTED: 08/29/13, 7:43 PM EDT | UPDATED: 4 WEEKS, 1 DAY AGO

For the Lampo family, the number 60 has a very special meaning. 

Clinton’s Robert Lampo ran the New Haven Road Race every year since it began in 1978. His racing bib had been No. 60 since race organizers locked in the numbers for streakers — runners who have participated in the race since it first started.

This past March, Lampo died at age 71, but his number will still be part of the New Haven Road Race thanks to his family.

“The New Haven Road Race organization contacted me maybe a few weeks ago when I registered for the race, asking me if I’d be interested in keeping my father’s number, No. 60,” said Robert’s son Craig Lampo, a Durham resident. “I was pretty much stunned and honored that they would do that. I think it’s really just a testament to the organization in regards to their commitment to the runners in terms of how much they care. I obviously accepted that, and I will now have the No. 60 for the indefinite future since my goal is to run this race until I can’t run it anymore.” 

Robert’s daughter, Kim Dempsey of Madison, also runs the race. She will be wearing her father’s American flag bandana in his memory this year. 

“Every run for the past 10 New Haven Road Races my dad has worn a bandana around his head to keep the sweat out of his eyes because he was bald. It was an American flag and that was kind of his signature piece he would wear,” Dempsey said. “I’ll make sure I wipe my sweat with it a couple times because my dad would be proud of me if I did that.

Dempsey said her father’s bandana currently lays over his urn. His No. 60 bib was placed beside his urn at his wake and funeral.

“As far as running went, it was definitely his identity. He didn’t have a name when he was running; he had the number 60. Everybody rooted for No. 60,” Craig said.

Robert’s wife, Ginny Lampo, said she remembers her husband’s dedication to the New Haven Road Race. He would even train for it while he was camping with his family.

“Camping is a lot of fun and my husband loved to enjoy his partying and his campfires. He enjoyed his kids, but in the morning he’d be out there pounding the pavement and training for this race,” Ginny said. “That was his very important race, and it probably was the only one over the last five or six years that he really ran.”

Robert’s dedication went beyond running. Last year, when Robert could no longer run due to bad knees, he began biking. He found a way to still be a part of the New Haven Road Race.

“Last year was the first year, the only year, that he couldn’t run. He actually brought his bike, and he basically biked with me the entire race,” Craig said.

Robert’s kids said that although he loved running, he really enjoyed the people that participated in the race. They said he always encouraged friends and family while training and throughout the race.

“I’ve had lots of friends that have run since I’ve been running with my dad and every time I had a new friend that wanted to do it, my dad would be out there training with us, and he was always the one that would say, ‘come on, you can do it,’” Dempsey said. “And even now that I’m training without him, I can hear his voice as I’m running.”

 The number 60 and the New Haven Road Race were important to Robert Lampo and have become important to his family.

“It started off with us holding signs as little kids for my dad, and it ended up being his five grandkids on the side cheering him on,” Dempsey said. 

Now Robert’s two grown children will run the race each with a little piece of him.

Something Different

http://www.nhregister.com/sports/20130903/barnacles-enjoy-underwater-hockey-program

Barnacles enjoy underwater hockey program

By Morgan Schwenn, Special to the Register

POSTED: 09/03/13, 7:21 PM EDT |

What sport involves sticks, pucks, gloves, fins and snorkels? Underwater hockey.

The Barnacles underwater hockey team out of Stratford and Cheshire competes in a unique sport that combines hockey and snorkeling. 

“It’s an awesome sport, and what I really enjoy about it is it gives you something to do in the water. It involves a lot of hand-eye skill,” Barnacles player Pat Hanrahan said. “You start learning how to see other players and over time you become able to control the puck while watching people around you. It opens up a whole other aspect of the game.”

Underwater hockey, an international sport, was created in 1954 in the United Kingdom and originally called Octopush.

Hanrahan, who joined the Barnacles in 2011, began playing the sport in South Africa about 20 years ago. His brother, who was on the South African defense force, wanted to get funding from the South African defense force sports fund for a scuba diving club. However, in order to qualify for the funding they needed a competitive sport, so they decided to start an underwater hockey team. Hanrahan became hooked on the sport and has been playing ever since. 

“I looked up underwater hockey on the internet before I came here and made sure it was here,” Hanrahan said.

Long-time Barnacle Andrew Pawlowski said he has been playing with the team since 1978. The Barnacles were formed by a group of scuba divers as a fun way to stay in shape.

“We wanted to do something in the winter to keep in shape, so when we went back to work again in the summer we would be alright,” Pawlowski said.

Teammate Jamie Saulnier said underwater hockey is great cardio and makes you breathe hard, but that the lack of communication in the game also makes it difficult. 

“There isn’t a lot of communication. You can’t talk underwater,” Saulnier said. “There’s a lot of teamwork that you have to just build in to it since you can’t talk.” 

Additionally, Saulnier said that of the people who play underwater hockey, there is a high percentage of engineers.

“I think for new players it’s got a very steep learning curve. You have to feel comfortable in the water. You have to know how to tread water and how to float. You have to learn the snorkeling,” Saulnier said.

For player Mike Opuszynski, the mental aspect of underwater hockey is his favorite part, even though he says it is probably the hardest part of the game. 

“There’s a lot going on when you’re at the bottom of the pool. You have the puck moving around. You have 11 other guys that you are trying to figure out where they are positioned. You are trying to figure out where you want the puck to go and you have to figure out when you want to go up for air,” Opuszynski said.

According to Opuszynski, knowing each players’ downtime is important. This means how long a player can hold their breath underwater. Additionally, he said that knowing how his teammates play helps the team play better.

“Every person has their own certain strategy and skill set and you have to know that. That’s kind of the best way of putting together a team,” Opuszynski said.

Opuszynski, who competed in the national championship with the Barnacles this year, has competed all over the country and even in Canada. He has competed in pot luck tournaments, where all the players go to the tournament as individuals and are put on teams. Some of Opuszynski’s favorite pot luck tournaments are held at UMass and Key Largo. 

Opuszynski said that he loves the camaraderie that is built between underwater hockey players. 

“One of the things I have enjoyed about this sport is that everyone is really friendly and really helpful,” Opuszynski said. “It is one of the very few sports where you can go as a beginner and play with national and world level players. Because there is so much comradery everyone is just trying to improve the gameplay overall.” 

The Barnacles play every Thursday at the Stratford YMCA and Sundays at the Cheshire Community Pool. They are always looking to gain new players.

New Haven Open

By Morgan Schwenn

Special to the Register

NEW HAVEN OPEN: New doubles pair Garrigues and Srebotnik advance to Semi-finals

Anabel Medina Garrigues and Katarina Srebotnik move on to the New Haven Open semi-finals as the top seed after defeating Lucie Hradecka and Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic.
This is the first year Garrigues and Srebotnik have played together since 2006. Garrigues, who is from Spain, and Srebotnik, who is from Slovenia, were finalists together at Warsaw seven years ago.
“We’ve known each other a long time already because we were playing Juniors together,” Garrigues said. “We were thinking about playing some tournaments together, but I don’t know what happened. One time she had a partner, another time I did. We didn’t have the time, but this time was possible, so it’s good.”
Srebotnik said they don’t feel any more pressure as the current top seed than they did as the no. 2 seed. She also said playing the New Haven Open is good practice for the U.S. Open next week.
“This is preparation,” Srebotnik said. “To have practice matches is better than practicing everyday anyway.”
The pair agreed they played better this match than on the first day, which is normal according to Srebotnik.
“Our first match they were very different players,” Garrigues said. “Today we were more doubles than they were doing. They were more like singles playing very hard cross, and we were playing very good.”
Garrigues and Srebotnik said the way they play depends on many factors.
“As a player you know which shot you can release and go for it, and which shot where the chance to make a winner is unlikely so you better put the ball in play and try to work the point,” Srebotnik said. “It depends in which position you are in the court. It depends on the position you are in the match, as well, are you going to risk it or are you not going to risk it. And it depends on the opponent, as well.”

Pan-Massachusetts Challenge

http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2013/07/29/sports/doc51f70f3793e4b106505175.txt?viewmode=fullstory

CYCLING: Area residents join cancer fund-raising effort
Published: Monday, July 29, 2013

By Morgan Schwenn

Bethany resident Dominick Reis was first touched by cancer as a teenager, when his grandmother passed from the disease.

Reis, now 52 years old, has lost several friends and family members to cancer since his grandmother’s passing. He recalled how difficult it was to see his loved ones become debilitated by the disease.

“My grandmother was the first person I knew who had cancer, and at the end she wouldn’t let us see her because she was afraid we would be scared by the way she looked,” Reis said.

Reis said he thinks it is important that people don’t feel alone as they fight illness.

On Saturday and Sunday, Reis will cycle in the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge to raise money and awareness for cancer research and care.

The PMC is a bike-a-thon that raises money for The Jimmy Fund. There are 11 routes with varying lengths from which riders may choose. Cyclists must raise anywhere from $500 to $4,300 depending on the route they plan to ride.

This will be the first year Reis rides in the PMC, but he already feels a close connection to the race. Reis’ uncle, Manuel Tavares, used to ride in the bike-a-thon before he passed from cancer. Reis will be riding alongside his cousin in honor of his uncle and other family members and friends who had cancer.

“My uncle was just such a giving person. He would do anything for anybody. He was very unassuming, very kind. He was your perfect family man,” Reis said.

Reis and his family also support other cancer research charities, but the PMC stands out for several reasons.

All of the money raised by the riders goes directly to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through the Jimmy Fund. The PMC raises more money than any other athletic fundraising event. In 2012, the PMC raised $37 million and this year has a goal of raising $38 million.
“The PMC money is considered seed money. This means the PMC funds early innovative research,” PMC Spokesperson Jackie Herskovitz said. “So the PMC could be funding the next cures that never would have seen the light of day if it weren’t for the PMC.”

Herskovitz said the PMC was founded in 1980 by Billy Star, who lost his mother, uncle and cousin to cancer by the time he reached 30. She said Star used to ride, just for fun, from his home in Newtown to Provincetown, which is about a 200 mile ride. He and his friends would try to make it to Provincetown for the 3:30 ferry, and if they didn’t make it to the ferry, they would have to hitch-hike back home. Star realized they could do the ride to raise money for cancer research.

The first year Star organized the PMC, there were only 36 riders, and they raised $10,200. Since then, the PMC has grown to include about 5,500 cyclists from 36 states and eight countries.

“PMC weekend is amazing. It is like a love fest. It’s like a family reunion. It is truly an extended family,” Herskovitz said. “Volunteers are thanking riders and riders are thanking volunteers. Everyone is working as a unified team because they all have the same goal in mind; to raise as much money for cancer research as possible.”

Milford resident Tim Cronin will also be participating in the PMC, where he will be riding in memory of his niece, Meghan Duffy.

Meghan had cancer as a child and passed in 2007 at age 11, but before her death Meghan participated in the PMC as a pedal partner with the Pedal for Pediatrics team.

“Pedal partners are children going through cancer treatment, and they (PMC) try to match up partners with teams,” Cronin said.

Pedal partners motivate Cronin throughout the weekend, and he said that seeing them is a special part of the event.

“It’s an amazing experience to see those young kids out there going through these treatments and smiling at you and cheering you on. It’s so powerful and rewarding to be a part of that,” Cronin said.

This will be Cronin’s sixth year riding with the Pedal for Pediatrics team, which now has about 60 members. Since the team was created, they have raised over $2 million.
Cronin rides alongside his sister, Colleen Duffy, and her husband, Frank, who have been involved with the PMC for 13 years. Cronin said that riding with his family and friends gives him the strength needed to get through the 160 miles of cycling.

Other area riders include Jason Cebula (Milford), Paul Downing (Milford), Michael Smith (Milford), Douglas Hale (Naugatuck), William Hawkins (Naugatuck), Nadine Morandi (Orange) and Rick Allen (Woodbridge).

Baseball: Old-Timers Game Coming to Hamden

http://nhregister.com/articles/2013/07/25/sports/doc51f1cbad1f06c379123655.txt?viewmode=fullstory

BASEBALL: Old-Timers game in the works for Hamden’s Rochford Field
Published: Thursday, July 25, 2013

By Morgan Schwenn, Special to the Register

Former Hamden Mayor John Carusone is bringing life to memories of Hamden baseball by planning an old-timers game to be played at Rochford Field in 2014.

“There are so many key players that played at Rochford Field that would like to play one more game there. It is going to attract people from all over the state,” Carusone said.

This will be Carusone’s fourth time organizing an old-timers game. The first was played in 1986.

“More than likely this will be the last one because, unfortunately, a lot of the guys who were here for the first time around are underneath the grass looking up,” Carusone said. “Every year we read the names of all the guys who have passed away.”

Carusone is planning to hold the game at what will be a newly rebuilt Rochford Field. The field, which was built in 1938, was destroyed by an F4 tornado in 1989.

“This was the worst area the tornado hit in the state, Carusone said. “The middle school had the roof peeled back like a sardine can.”

The rebuilt Rochford Field will be modeled after the original and will have the proper dimensions, dugouts, new stands, foul poles and a track on the outskirts. Carusone also plans to reinstall a memorial dedicated to his friend and former teammate, Ron Bernadini, who was killed there when he was hit in the head by a pitch.

Rochford Field holds memories for numerous old timers who are looking forward to coming back for one last hurrah.

“The old-timers games were all good for me. They bring back good memories,” said Ed Lewis, a former Notre Dame West Haven and Providence College baseball player.

Lewis recalled how as a kid Sunday baseball at Rochford Field was the “big thing.”
“It was kind of a family situation. Moms and dads and brothers and sisters would be there. Everyone knew each other,” Lewis said. “The only problem with Rochford Field was the stands couldn’t hold all the people there.”

Coach Ken Perrone said one of his greatest memories of Rochford Field was playing there with the Hamden Medics in 1954.

“We beat Baltimore there for the Mid-Atlantic championship and the right to go to Battle Creek for the world championship. We beat Cuba 5-3 and that was Connecticut’s first win in the National Baseball Congress World Tournament,” Perrone said.

The Medics won three-straight state championships from 1954 to 1956.

Even Hamden locals who didn’t play baseball have warm feelings towards Rochford Field. Rose Mentone, a Hamden native, remembers living down the street from Rochford Field as a kid, and as an adult, watching her kids play and her husband coach baseball there.

“Before the tornado, Rochford was really a beautiful place to visit,” Mentone said. “I think people will enjoy going back to watch games.”

Both Mentone and Lewis said they have seen baseball have a positive influence on their kids. Mentone said that her kids have learned valuable life lessons from the team sport. Lewis, who learned many lessons from playing baseball himself, said he has passed on those values to his children.

“Baseball has made me a better person. It has helped me to raise my family. It has helped me to teach my kids the value that mother baseball has taught me,” Lewis said.

Those who are interested in rekindling memories at the Old-Timers game can contact John Carusone at 203-288-6151 or by email at carjohn5@sbcglobal.net.

 

Ultimate Frisbee

http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2013/07/24/sports/doc51ef621651de4248928485.txt

ULTIMATE FRISBEE: Guilford’s Chris Mazur voted MVP
Published: Wednesday, July 24, 2013

By Morgan Schwenn

Guilford native Chris Mazur brought acknowledgement to the New York Rumble ultimate frisbee team when he was named the 2013 Major League Ultimate Eastern Conference MVP.

“In the end, getting MVP was a nice recognition for our team,” Mazur said. “Even though we didn’t make the playoffs, we had a really successful season and a fun time playing together.”

Mazur, who finished the regular season with 24 goals and 32 assists, credited much of his success to his teammates.

“In this sport, no matter what, you have to be passing to another teammate. You have to work together to make it happen,” Mazur said.

Mazur said that his mother has also helped him throughout his ultimate career.

“Being able to stand up after failing is something that I think she has taught me really well. Every time I’ve made a mistake and every time something has gone wrong, she has been able to pick me up off the ground,” Mazur said. “Without her around it all wouldn’t mean that much.”

MLU awarded Mazur $500 for being named MVP, as well as an additional $500 that will be donated to his charity of choice or youth ultimate program. Mazur said that he will be donating the $500 to Choate Rosemary Hall’s ultimate frisbee team.

“Choate is a pretty special place to me. I went to Choate for high school,” Mazur said. “It was a pretty special experience for me and certainly a place that helped shape the person I am today. I look for moments where I can give back to the community. This seemed like a nice way to perpetuate the sport by promoting a newer youth program.”

Choate’s ultimate program is also important to Mazur because he was head coach of their first varsity ultimate team.

Mazur, who began playing ultimate at the University of Miami, said he has seen the sport growing.
“From the time I began playing my freshmen year to the time I left as a senior, we had gone from having a group of 15 people to having a full roster for an A Team, B Team, and a women’s team,” Mazur said.

Mazur encourages others to get out and play ultimate or to watch a game. He said that the sport is both a lot of fun and great exercise.

“I think if you just play it once, you will be hooked. The fun is contagious and more often than not it comes with a party,” Mazur said. “It’s nice for anyone who wants to play. I would even more so encourage someone who considers him or herself an athlete because it is an incredible workout.”

Mazur said ultimate is an exciting sport in part because the frisbee floats in the air longer than a ball does in other sports, allowing for more exciting plays to unfold. He also enjoys ultimate because of the close-knit community that comes with the sport.

“The community aspect is pretty wonderful,” Mazur said. “It has kind of an open-door policy to it, especially with people who have never played the sport before. It is just so welcoming to people who have never played before.”

Mazur said it is unfortunate that this season is already over, but he is looking forward to next season with what he says will almost certainly be an expanded league.

 

Junk Ball for Charity

http://nhregister.com/articles/2013/07/22/sports/doc51edd2992a848548572634.txt?viewmode=fullstory

Hamden teenager turns junk ball tournament into charity event
Published: Monday, July 22, 2013

By Morgan Schwenn, Special to the Register

Jack Diana, a 16 year-old from Hamden, has been hosting junk ball tournaments for five years. This year he decided to hold the tournament as a charity event to raise money for the Arthritis Foundation.

“It was a great experience because we had a lot of fun, and we also knew we were helping people with arthritis,” Diana said.

Diana chose to donate the money to the Arthritis Foundation because he saw how his grandmother, who died in 2008, was impacted by the disease. Jack’s father, Rich Diana, also felt close to the cause.

“I’m an orthopedic surgeon, so I do surgery on people who have arthritis. My mother ultimately died from arthritis, so this is a special cause to me,” Rich Diana said.

Jack and the 64 other teenagers that played in the tournament raised a total of $3,250. Each kid who played donated a minimum of $15 to $25. Additionally, there were 13 sponsors who gave either monetary or in-kind donations and both Subway and Eli’s Brick Oven Pizza donated food for the tournament.

“Gifts like these will help us find a cure for arthritis, and end the pain and suffering of millions of our friends and neighbors here in Connecticut, who are currently living with arthritis,” said Robert Smith, the Vice President of Development of the Arthritis Foundation’s New England Region.

While junk ball is similar to whiffle ball, Jack Diana said he chose junk ball because the ability to throw the balls harder made for more competitive games.

“We wanted to do something between whiffle ball and baseball, so we found the junk balls and they worked great,” Jack Diana said.

Jack and his father built a junk ball field in their backyard for the tournament. Construction included putting up a fence, spray-painting lines and measuring out where to put the bases.

“I think it was a great experience for Jack to build a field,” Rich said. “There is a lot of math involved. There was a lot that went in to it.”
The four-day tournament also included a draft night. Six captains selected players and designed their own team shirts. Jack’s mother, Ann Diana, said some of the teens even wore dress shirts and ties to the draft this year.

The first two days consisted of a “regular season,” where every team played each other. The next two days, teams advanced to the playoffs and the championship game.

Jack and his family are already looking forward to next year’s tournament. The Dianas said they plan on the tournament growing even larger, as it has since the tournament first started.

“It’s a productive creative thing for 16 year olds to do over the summer. They are staying out of trouble, staying active, and raising money for charity, so it’s a win win,” Rich Diana said.

 

Tennis: All-area MVP

http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2013/07/05/sports/high_school/doc51d794c83455a086268813.txt?viewmode=fullstory

ALL-AREA GIRLS TENNIS MVP: Amity’s Dina Weick
Published: Friday, July 05, 2013

By Morgan Schwenn, Special to the Register
Twitter: @nhrsports

Click to enlarge
Amity girls tennis player Dina Weick is a valuable asset to the Spartans.

But it’s not all about wins and losses. Weick also brings great sportsmanship and helps her teammates improve.

“Dina has a very nice personality and I think she’s really respected by the other girls in the league,” Amity coach Harold Freedman said. “We had a freshman playing No. 2 singles this year and a junior playing No. 3, and they benefited greatly by playing with her in practice this year. You could see their games rise tremendously from playing with her.”

Weick, the Register’s Area MVP, was undefeated at No. 1 singles during the regular season. She helped lead her team to the SCC tournament final and the Class L state semifinal, as well as making the quarterfinals of the State Open.

Freedman said he knew early on that Weick was going to do “something really special” this year. She defeated Hopkins’ Erica Meno, also an All-Area selection, during the preseason and Glastonbury’s Katherine Denucci early in the regular season.

Weick said she will never forget the match against Denucci.

“We went in not really knowing what was going to happen. I knew the girl I was playing against was really good,” Weick said. “She had beaten me three times before, so I knew it was going to be really tough. It was a three-set match, and after I won and got off the court all my teammates ran over. It was really exciting.”

Weick and Freedman both noted the marked improvement after her junior year. They credit a lot to Weick learning how to put topspin on the ball, which her coach outside of high school, Chris Raffone, taught her.

“(Topspin) made her really, really consistent, in addition to the power she already had. I think she became a smarter player in terms of her shot selection,” Freedman said.

Although Weick showed the most growth this season, she had a solid high school career. She is a three-time All-Area and three-time All-SCC Division I pick. Weick finished with a career record of 74-6.
“I knew Dina prior to her coming in to ninth grade because of her sister, and she had actually come to some of our practices in eighth grade during vacations, so I’ve always looked forward to her coming to the team,” Freedman said.

Freedman compared Weick to Maria Sharapova, saying she has the same focus and capability of blocking out distractions.

“You watch her on the court and she’s able to put aside any distractions, and she doesn’t let one point or one game bother her. She always comes back looking forward to the next point, the next shot, the next game,” Freedman said.

Weick will play tennis next year at Babson, competing in both singles and doubles. Weick and Freedman think her skills are better set for the singles game, but her coach said she is also a very good doubles player.

“I definitely like singles better. I think I’m better at it,” Weick said. “I’m sure I’ll learn to like doubles, too.”

While deciding on colleges, Weick said she had tennis on her mind.

“There’s something about tennis. It’s kind of a release from everything else,” Weick said.

Weick said she has been able to apply much of what she has learned from tennis to life. She says the game has taught her to take risks and be a strong competitor.

“It has taught me to demand the best of myself and to always put everything into something,” Weick said. “And if I do, I will get results.”

Travelers Championship: Bubba Watson

Bubba Watson with his bag of clubs.

Travelers Championship Raises Money for Charity

http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2013/06/20/sports/doc51c37df798c0e953507120.txt?viewmode=fullstory
TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP: A golf tournament and a fundraising factory
Published: Thursday, June 20, 2013

By Morgan Schwenn, Special to the Register
Twitter: @nhrsports

CROMWELL — The Travelers Championship is best known for launching careers of young golfers, but it is also an event that brings the community together for a great cause.

In over 60 years, the Travelers Championship has raised about $30 million for charity, according to senior director of media and advertising for Travelers Michael McCullough.

“One hundred percent of net proceeds from this tournament go to charity, so every soda people buy, every ticket, goes toward charity,” McCullough said.

The primary beneficiary of the tournament is the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, started by Paul Newman for children with severe illnesses. Over 100 charities have also benefited from the Travelers Championship, including the Greater New Haven Community Chorus, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center and Connecticut Veterans Legal Center.

The charity aspect of the tournament is important to McCullough.

“For me, it has a pretty special meaning,” McCullough said. “Not only am I an employee at Travelers, but I also have a son that goes to the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp. As a dad, I am extremely grateful to be the beneficiary of all the giving.”

A fun way the tournament raises money is through the Travelers Chipping Challenge. During the challenge, fans try to chip a ball onto a red umbrella in the Subway Fan Zone. If a fan lands the ball on the umbrella, they win a small prize. If they make it in the hole, they win an iPod Shuffle and Travelers donates $100 to the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp.

The Travelers Chipping Challenge is modeled after the pros’ challenge, where the golfers take shots at “The Umbrella at 15 1/2,” with the closest winning $10,000 for their favorite charity, donated by Travelers.

This is the fourth year the Travelers Chipping Challenge has been set up for fans; the proceeds of which end up being between $5,000 and $10,000 each year.
“We wanted to raise $5,000 (this year), and at this point we’ve already reached it,” McCullough said.

The Travelers Chipping Challenge also gives fans the opportunity to meet and gain chipping advice from some of the pros. This year, Tim Clark, Robert Allenby and Kevin Streelman stopped by the Chipping Challenge to help their fans become chipping “pros.”

The Travelers was named the PGA Tour’s “Most Fan-Friendly Event” in 2012.

“You aren’t just coming to a tournament and watching golf,” Mike O’Farrell of Norwich said. “It’s an all-day experience.”