The Hanover Grants Support Family-oriented Programs in Partnership With The Worcester Sharks

-- Grants designed to foster family time and lifelong readers --

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Feb 21, 2013, 01:27 ET

WORCESTER, Mass., Feb. 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hanover Insurance Group Foundation is pleased to announce a hat trick of three grants totaling $60,000, in support of local activities to help bring families together and encourage children to become enthusiastic readers. The grants will help promote a city-wide reading program for elementary school students, provide at-risk children with tickets to attend Worcester Sharks games, and sponsor a free community skate at the Worcester Common Oval.

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The Hanover Insurance Group Foundation is the charitable foundation of the The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE: THG), a leading provider of property and casualty insurance for businesses, families and individuals nationwide.

"Our company and our employees are committed to make a meaningful difference in our home community—especially in the areas of education and youth. That's why we are very pleased to work with local partners to help deliver programs that promote learning, and provide opportunities for families to come together and have fun, enjoying some of the unique resources that make our community special," said Jennifer Luisa, assistant vice president, corporate community relations, at The Hanover Insurance Group.

Mid-winter grants promote family time and reading skills
The first of the three grants is a partnership with The Worcester Sharks, a member of the American Hockey League and affiliate to the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League, which calls the DCU Center its home. Through the partnership, The Hanover will help to promote Reading is Cool, a program that supports the city's Grade Level Reading Initiative by encouraging students to read for at least a half hour each day, and commit to reading on a regular basis. Through the program, Worcester Sharks players visit classrooms in local schools, where they read to students, and help promote the importance of learning and reading as paths to lifelong achievement.

"The Worcester Sharks are committed to winning on the ice, and to helping our community to win, as well—and a winning community begins with strong schools and smart students," said Michael A. Mudd, president of the Worcester Sharks. "We're very proud to work with a great local partner like The Hanover on promoting our Reading is Cool program. We hope it will support the efforts of our local educators, and encourage children to enjoy reading and make it a part of their everyday life."

Students and parents can learn more about the Reading is Cool game, including rules for participation, by visiting the Worcester Sharks website: www.sharksahl.com.

The Hanover also partners with Y.O.U, Inc., to provide local, at-risk children with tickets to attend Worcester Sharks games. Y.O.U, Inc. is one of the leading child welfare, behavioral health and education agencies in Massachusetts. The agency offers specialized services at 32 different sites in Worcester County, with a comprehensive array of educational, vocational, therapeutic, and residential programs that serve more than 13,000 young people and their families each year.

Number three in The Hanover's grant hat trick was the company's recent sponsorship of a free skate at the new Worcester Common Oval. This fun, family-oriented event featured an ice sculpture and music.

About The Hanover Insurance Group Foundation
The mission of The Hanover Insurance Group Foundation, Inc. is to improve the quality of life in communities where The Hanover Insurance Group companies have a major presence, placing a special emphasis on helping to build world class public education systems and inspiring and empowering youth to achieve their full potential.

About The Hanover
Founded in 1852, The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE: THG) is proud to be celebrating 160 years of delivering on its promises to its agent and broker partners, and their customers. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc., based in Worcester, Mass., is the holding company for a group of insurers that includes The Hanover Insurance Company, Worcester, Mass., Citizens Insurance Company of America, Howell, Mich., Chaucer Holdings plc, London, and their affiliates. The Hanover offers a wide range of property and casualty products and services to businesses, individuals, and families through a select group of agents and brokers. The company is ranked among the top 25 property and casualty insurers in the United States. Through Chaucer, the company also underwrites business at Lloyd's of London in several major insurance and reinsurance classes, including property, marine and aviation, energy, U.K. motor and casualty. For more information, please visit www.Hanover.com.