Arnold Chase Named 2024 George Bahamonde Lifetime Achievement Award Honoree

The Connecticut television pioneer and philanthropist will be recognized during FOX61 and United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut’s 2nd Annual ImpaCT Awards this October. 

HARTFORD, Conn. (August 28, 2024) – United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut and FOX61 announced today Arnold Chase, President and Chairman of Sandra and Arnold Chase Foundation, as the recipient of the 2024 George Bahamonde Lifetime Achievement Award. Event tickets were also announced on sale at ctimpactawards.org. 

Chase will be recognized on Oct. 25 at the 2nd Annual ImpaCT Awards Ceremony, which recognizes and honors individuals, groups and organizations who make a significant contribution to health care, housing, financial empowerment and education in Connecticut.  

The Lifetime Achievement Award was created to celebrate individuals who have outstanding personal and professional achievements and have dedicated themselves to philanthropy and community with the goal of making the future brighter for generations to come. It is named in honor of the late George Bahamonde, who served as the President and CEO of United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut for 12 years and was passionate about educational outcomes and opportunities for local children. 

“This recognition is awarded to individuals who position philanthropy as the cornerstone of all they do, personally and professionally. Arnold Chase is a great example of this. He shares a legacy started by his remarkable father and by leading an active and generous foundation, and remains committed to building a better Connecticut for all,” said Eric Harrison, President and CEO of United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut. “Arnold’s professional and philanthropic efforts, and the impact that those had in Connecticut and beyond, makes him extremely deserving of this very special award.”  

Arnold Chase, the son of one of the Hartford area’s top businessmen and philanthropists, the late David T. Chase who survived the Holocaust, is the President and Chairman of the Sandra and Arnold Family Foundation established in 1978 and is the Co-President of Chase Enterprises, a multi-generational investment firm primarily specializing in the commercial real estate and hospitality industries. The company owns and manages more than 2 million square feet of investment properties throughout Connecticut, New York and Vermont, and played a pivotal role reinvigorating downtown Hartford with the construction of the “Gold Building”, One Corporate Center (the Stilts Building) and 280 Trumbull Street in the 1970s and 1980s. In addition, the company built the Connecticut Financial Center, New Haven’s tallest building.  

“My father always taught my sister and me that it is not necessarily what you accomplish; rather it is the good you can do with those accomplishments that matters most. Going through the process of creating Channel 61 more than 40 years ago opened my eyes to the many needs in our region, and I take the obligations of addressing those needs very seriously,” said Arnold Chase. “It is very special to me to receive this recognition from United Way and FOX61.” 

Among his many personal and professional accomplishments, establishing Channel 61 fulfilled a lifelong dream held by Arnold. On September 17, 1984, Channel 61 – now known as FOX61 – went on the air as the first television station in New England to broadcast a stereo audio signal.  

In addition to his public service through broadcast channels, Arnold Chase is also known for Winter Wonderland and Haunted Happenings, charity events that took place in downtown Hartford in the 1990s. These events employed more than 170 people, raised $500,000 for juvenile diabetes, boosted the local economy and brought extended families together for multigenerational joy. 

“40 years ago, Arnold Chase changed the landscape of Connecticut television, launching FOX61,” said Liz Salvatore, Community Manager, FOX61/CW20, TEGNA. “We have come a long way since then, but the foundation he laid to serve the community through our platform has never wavered. Arnold has always been a part of FOX61’s beginning and will continue to be a part of our future as we continue his philanthropic endeavors through efforts like the ImpaCT Awards.” 

The 2nd Annual ImpaCT Awards Ceremony will take place on October 25, 2024 at Hartford Marriott Downtown. Additionally, the ImpaCT Awards Ceremony will be broadcasted on FOX61 and will be streamed on FOX61+ on November 1, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. in a special one-hour broadcast and available on FOX61+ to stream. Sponsorships are on sale now at CTImpactAwards.org and are eligible for charitable tax deductions. Tables and tickets are now on sale at ctimpactawards.org.  

Funds raised benefit United Way-supported initiatives that close gaps in child literacy, housing, wages and life expectancy to make our community an equitable place where everyone succeeds.     

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About United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut     
United Way closes gaps in child literacy, housing, wages and life expectancy to make the 860 region an equitable place where everyone succeeds. United Way does this by aligning partners across sectors to end poverty; leveraging information and experience to deepen impact; connecting people with resources and opportunities to make a difference; and transforming the future with game-changing solutions. For more information, visit unitedwayinc.org.          

About FOX61  
FOX61, Connecticut’s News Station, is one of the nation’s most highly rated FOX Network affiliates, providing Connecticut viewers with outstanding entertainment, news, sports and local event programming. FOX61 News is the market leader in news, producing more news and winning more awards than any station in Connecticut. FOX61 now airs more than 61 hours of local news and public affairs programming each week, more than any other market station and provides 24 x 7 live streamed content on FOX61+, available on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.   

CW20, one of the top performing CW network affiliates in the U.S., delivers the best in off network and first-run syndicated programming, movies and sports. The station is home to the Connecticut Lottery drawings and broadcasts major community events and sports including New York Mets Baseball, UConn Football and UConn Baseball.     

FOX61 and CW20 are owned by TEGNA Inc. (NYSE: TGNA), an innovative media company that owns and operates 64 television stations in 51 markets. For more information, please visit www.fox61.com.     

Media Contact: Anyeline Céspedes López | United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut | acespedes@unitedwayinc.org | 787.502.0436