Sentry donates $1 million to Maui United Way for mental health resources | News, Sports, Jobs

July 16, 2024

Gary Kanamori, principal of Princess Nahi‘ena‘ena Elementary School (from left); Richard Carosso, principal of Lahainaluna High School; Stephanie Smith, Chief Marketing and Brand Officer of Sentry Insurance; Mark Klaschka, Maui United Way Vice Chair; Pete McPartland, Sentry Chairman and CEO; Nick Winfrey, Maui United Way President and Chief Professional Officer; Tonata Lolesio, Principal, Sacred Hearts School; Leo Caires, Chief of Staff, Maui County; and Kalynn Pempek, Executive Director of the Sentry Foundation. Photos courtesy Sentry

Sentry Insurance recently announced a new $1 million donation to Maui United Way to provide mental health resources to children who have lived through the trauma of Maui’s wildfires.

The donation adds to Sentry’s previous $1 million in contributions to aid wildfire recovery efforts on Maui.

Officials from Maui United Way and Sentry unveiled the Sentry Malama Keiki Initiative during a special livestream event with community leaders in Kapalua.

As the venue for the PGA Tour’s The Sentry (formerly the Sentry Tournament of Champions), Maui holds special significance for Sentry, which has served as the title sponsor since 2018.

“Maui is our ohana, a Sentry community, and in the face of the wildfires, we knew we had to help,” Pete McPartland, Sentry Chairman and CEO, said in a news release. “The Sentry Malama Keiki Initiative is our response to the urgent need for mental health support among Maui’s youth, especially in Lahaina and West Maui, helping them cope, heal, and recover from the trauma of this unprecedented disaster.”

During the event, McPartland shared how Sentry’s involvement in the Maui community deepened through the Maui-Stevens Point Connected Communities initiative, fostering relationships between community leaders, educational institutions, breweries, and nonprofits in Maui and Stevens Point, Wis., where Sentry is headquartered.

“Maui’s spirit and resilience are remarkable, and we understand the journey ahead will be long,” McPartland added. “With this initiative, we’re committed to helping Maui’s keiki regain their footing, providing the support they need to heal and thrive.”

Maui United Way President and Chief Professional Officer Nick Winfrey, in discussing the organization’s commitment to the community, highlighted the vital role of local partnerships and community involvement.

“In the wake of recent devasting fires, the importance of mental health support for our keiki has never been more evident,” Winfrey said in the news release. “Even before this disaster, our community faced a significant need for youth mental health services. This crisis has magnified that need, reminding us that caring for the emotional and psychological well-being of the youngest members of our ohana is an ongoing commitment, not just a response to a crisis.

“At Maui United Way, we recognize this urgent need and are dedicated to mobilizing resources to ensure our keiki have the care and resilience to thrive, even in adversity. A huge mahalo to our partners at Sentry for their ongoing commitment and trust in supporting our mission to ensure a safety net for our most vulnerable.”

This week, The Sentry announced Ludvig Aberg, Tom Kim, Vincent Norrman and Sahith Theegala have committed to play in the opening event of the 2024 PGA Tour Regular Season when it returns to The Plantation Course at Kapalua from Jan. 4-7.

As the first of eight Signature events during the 2024 season, The Sentry welcomes tour winners from the previous calendar year, including FedExCup Fall winners, and the top 50 players from the final 2022-23 FedExCup standings who qualified for the BMW Championship.

Aberg is set to make his debut at The Sentry following a rookie season on tour that saw four top-10 finishes including his first career TOUR victory at The RSM Classic in November. The 24-year-old turned professional following the NCAA Championship in May and became the first player to join the tour directly out of college by finishing No. 1 in the PGA Tour University Ranking.

Fellow Swede and PGA Tour rookie Norrman claimed his maiden tour title at the Barbasol Championship in July and collected seven additional top-25 finishes during the 2022-23 season. The 25-year-old became the first player from Sweden to win on tour since 2017 (Henrik Stenson/Wyndham Championship) and joined Scott Piercy (2015), Grayson Murray (2017) and Jim Herman (2019) as winners in their debut appearance at the event. Norrman will make his first appearance at The Sentry and The Plantation Course at Kapalua.

…berg and Norrman are both nominees for PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, which will be announced at The Sentry alongside the PGA Tour Player of the Year.

The Shriners Children’s Open was the site of Kim’s third career tour title, which he successfully defended. The 21-year-old became the youngest three-time winner on tour since Tiger Woods (1996 Shriners Children’s Open, 1996 Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic, The Sentry 1997) and the second youngest to successfully defend a title since 1900 (John McDermott/1912 U.S. Open).

Kim previously qualified for The Sentry by finishing T20 in the final 2022-23 FedExCup standings. In his lone appearance at The Sentry, Kim finished T5 in 2023.

Theegala earned his second trip to The Sentry following his first tour title at the Fortinet Championship. The 26-year-old was the sixth player to make the Fortinet Championship their maiden tour victory and first since 2018 (Kevin Tway). Over the course of the 2023 calendar year, Theegala earned four additional top-10 finishes. In his first appearance at The Sentry, Theegala finished 33rd in 2023.

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