Jay Toohey of Enfield Named Cigna Volunteer of the Year

Jay Toohey, a product director from Enfield, has been named Cigna's Volunteer of the Year for his work with AbilityPLUS Adaptive Sports.

AbilityPLUS provides sports and recreational programs to people with physical disabilities including amputations, visual impairment, hearing impairment, cerebral palsy, brain injuries and paralysis as well as developmental disabilities such as autism. The charity serves civilians as well as wounded military personnel. Toohey, an avid skier, helps AbilityPLUS clients ski some of the most popular mountains in the Northeast.

Toohey was inspired to work with the charity beginning in 2009 after he learned of it through a friend of his 15-year-old son. The friend, , has cerebral palsy and skis with AbilityPLUS.

“My son Brendan has been friends with Andrew since grammar school. When I saw Andrew ski for the first time I was amazed at how well he could ski and the freedom he had on the slopes. I talked with his mother about how he learned through adaptive ski lessons. That is what initially drew me into the AbilityPLUS program,” Toohey said.

Toohey was honored with a $5,000 donation to Ability PLUS from the Cigna Foundation and a $2,500 personal award at a July 12 luncheon with Cigna CEO David Cordani at the company’s Bloomfield headquarters.

“People like Jay are the heart of our company. He exemplifies our dedication to helping people achieve their full potential no matter what obstacles they may face,” Cordani said. “We’re proud to honor him and help AbilityPLUS reach more people who may face extraordinary challenges.”

“The dedication, leadership and inspiration Jay provides to AbilityPLUS participants, staff, and volunteers is immeasurable, and it is an honor to our organization that Cigna recognizes the value of Jay's work for adaptive sports programs,” said Mark Shepherd, AbilityPLUS board of directors chairman.

The Cigna Volunteer of the Year is chosen by the Cigna Foundation with the Points of Light Hands on Network from twelve volunteers recognized monthly throughout the year.