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Union Mutual Joins the Annual Kelly Brush Ride as Title Sponsor

Montpelier, VT and Burlington, VT, May 23, 2024 – The Kelly Brush Foundation is proud to announce that Union Mutual will join the annual Kelly Brush Ride as title sponsor, beginning a three-year partnership. This new sponsorship between a prominent Vermont business and one of the state’s most visible non-profit organizations will begin ahead of the 2024 ride, which is set to roll through Central Vermont on September 7.

The annual Kelly Brush Ride raises funds to support the Kelly Brush Foundation’s work of empowering people with spinal cord injuries to participate in adaptive sports. Union Mutual’s sponsorship will help the annual event grow, and exceed past fundraising totals.

“Union Mutual is proud to support the important work of the Kelly Brush Foundation,” said Lisa L. Keysar, President & CEO of Union Mutual. “We are excited that our effort will help provide access to athletic and recreational opportunities for individuals with spinal cord injuries.”

The Kelly Brush Ride, which takes place at Middlebury College in September each year, is a beloved New England event, known for its on-course safety and attentive rider support. An event for every kind of cyclist – and one of the largest events in New England for adaptive cyclists – the ride offers road, gravel, and mountain bike routes of various lengths.

In 2023, 920 riders took part and the ride raised $1.2 million, all of which helped the Kelly Brush Foundation award hundreds of dollars in grant funding in 2023, and provide adaptive sports education to thousands of people.

“Union Mutual is known for their deep commitment to social impact and supporting the most important causes to their community,” said KBF Founder Kelly Brush. “We’re so grateful that Union Mutual will join our 2024, 2025, and 2026 rides. We believe that their involvement will help us connect with more cyclists who want to enjoy riding for a good cause, and help us to raise even more funds as we work to help more and more people access adaptive sports.”

In addition to the annual Kelly Brush Ride in Vermont, there is also a remote Kelly Brush Ride, that cyclists in any location can join, and a California ride, which is set to take place on October 19, in Marin County. Registration for all three events will open this summer. Join our mailing list to receive more information about the rides, here.

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Union Mutual of Vermont Companies, founded in 1874, is a property casualty insurance group consisting of Union Mutual Fire Insurance and New England Guaranty Insurance Company Inc., both based in Montpelier, Vermont; and Community Mutual Insurance Company, based in Latham, New York. The Companies write a total of $220 million in direct premium annually through independent agents throughout New England and New York, and are all rated A (Excellent) with a Stable Outlook by A.M. Best.

The Kelly Brush Foundation (KBF) is a dynamic and growing Burlington, Vermont-based non-profit whose mission is to inspire and empower people with spinal cord injuries to be active. KBF also works closely with the alpine ski racing community to improve safety at events. The Kelly Brush Foundation was founded in 2006 by Kelly Brush and her family after she sustained a spinal cord injury while racing in an NCAA alpine ski race. To date, the Kelly Brush Foundation has awarded more than 1,700 adaptive equipment grants to people in 50 states, and also hosts adaptive sports camps.