The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp

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A tree house.

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JIMMY CANTON: Paul Newman had a dream. In 1988, he had a dream to start a camp for children whose illness precluded them from going to any other camp. And the dream was simple for him--let's restore a sense of normalcy, let them raise a little hell. And if we can level the playing field for them and allow their medical needs to be taken care of, they can remember what it's like to be a child. Or give the man experience perhaps for the first time for what it could be like to be a child unencumbered by illness, totally at play.

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On boat.

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What he didn't realize was how profoundly healing it would be to surround these children with 100 other children who have walked their walk and who get it, where they don't feel that they're the only ones.

We are so grateful to be a part of the Travelers Championship. Not just for the support the Travelers Championship offers us, but for the incredible awareness that they bring to camp. It's a wonderful way for our mission to be shared, not just throughout Connecticut, but all around the country.

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A long dock reaches into a pond. Several people stand on the dock. Flags wave near the shore.

Text, Travelers Championship. i Stock Photo, Deep Blue Music, Leap of Faith.

Paul Newman founded The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Ashford, Connecticut, so that children coping with serious illnesses could have a special hideout where they could simply be kids and, in his words, “raise a little hell.”

Hole in the Wall served 288 children during its first summer in 1988. Since then, Camp’s programs have become year-round and grown to serve more than 20,000 children and family members annually throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. All of Camp’s services are provided free of charge.

The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp is the primary beneficiary of the Travelers Championship, which donates 100% of net proceeds to charity. But Travelers and Hole in the Wall have a strong friendship that extends beyond Connecticut’s PGA TOUR event.

Highlights of Travelers' Support

  • Travelers has contributed more than $5.2 million to The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp since 2007, including over $3 million for their Hospital Outreach Program, which extends the healing power of Camp to children in dozens of partner locations throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.
  • After a fire destroyed Camp’s main program complex in Ashford, Connecticut, in February 2021, Travelers and the Travelers Championship announced a joint commitment to match up to $1 million in donations to help the rebuilding effort.
  • Travelers is also the primary benefactor of Hole in the Wall's Parent & Caregiver Retreats, which provide healing getaways and helpful networking opportunities for camper parents and caregivers.
  • In addition to financial support, Travelers employees also donate their time, helping prepare the grounds and program areas for the arrival of campers and families as well as volunteering at regional events. Typically, hundreds of employees volunteer each year.
  • Travelers funded Camp’s accessible mini-golf course that can accommodate campers coping with a diverse array of mobility concerns.

As a featured charity partner of the Travelers Championship, The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp has greater visibility so that others can be inspired by what Paul Newman created and make his dream their own.      

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