April 27, 2026
Pictured: Hartford HealthCare, Hartford Hospital, and Black & Red leadership celebrate Health, Healing & Community.
Click here to view the 2026 Black & Red Photo Gallery!
More than 1,200 supporters filled The Bushnell to celebrate Hartford Hospital’s mission on Saturday, April 25, 2026, as the 34th annual Black & Red raised $4.3 million to advance Health, Healing & Community across the Hartford region.
Cheryl Ficara, RN, MS, NEA-BC, President of Hartford Hospital & Hartford HealthCare’s Hartford Region, opened the show by celebrating 25 Hartford Hospital Heroes nominated by their colleagues for exemplifying Hartford HealthCare’s values. After announcing a record-breaking $3.3 million fundraising campaign, Ficara surprised the audience by announcing an additional $1 million philanthropic investment from Consigli Construction—bringing total proceeds to $4.3 million.
“Every year, this community inspires us,” Ficara shared from The Bushnell stage. “You place your trust in us—and you invest in a vision that is bigger than any one of us. Across Hartford, lives are being changed through compassion, access, and action. The work of Hartford HealthCare and Hartford Hospital reaches far beyond our hospital walls—into neighborhoods, onto streets, and into the everyday moments where health begins.”
Jeffrey A. Flaks, President and CEO of Hartford HealthCare, joined Ficara on stage to present the prestigious Hartford Hospital Lifetime Achievement Award to Cunegundo Vergara, MD, FACP.
Flaks also highlighted Hartford HealthCare’s national recognition for healthcare quality, innovation, and safety, reaffirming the organization’s commitment to revitalizing communities by strengthening access, affordability, and compassionate care—particularly for underserved populations. He also shared a preview of HHC 2035: the future of Hartford Hospital’s campus, including a new patient tower that he says will revitalize healthcare in the capital city.
“Thank you for being our greatest supporters and advocates,” Flaks said to the audience. “Connecticut has world-class healthcare, and this is our moment. This is a generational moment for our organization to reimagine and reinvest. We’re not here to protect the status quo; we’re changing it.”
Pictured Above: Jeffrey A. Flaks, President & CEO, Hartford HealthCare, unveils HHC 2035 to the audience of supporters.
The celebration continued with a special performance by Grammy Award-winning country artist Darius Rucker, well-known as the lead singer of Hootie & the Blowfish.
“Hartford HealthCare and Hartford Hospital are incredibly fortunate to benefit from the leadership and generosity of Honorary Event Chairs Beverly and Greg Deavens, Committee Chairs Pam and Eric Rosow, our 2026 Black & Red Committee, and the 113 sponsors who invested in our vision for community care,” said Lynn B. Rossini, Interim Chief Philanthropy Officer, Hartford HealthCare, Vice President, Hartford Hospital Philanthropy. “Black & Red proves that anything is possible when a community chooses to care for one another—and we are deeply grateful for our supporters’ generous philanthropic investment and continued belief in our mission.”
A date and venue for the 2027 Black & Red is expected to be announced in late 2026.
Pictured: Jeffrey A. Flaks and Cheryl Ficara, RN, MS, NEA-BC, celebrate Cunegundo Vergara, MD, FACP, the 2026 Hartford Hospital Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.
