The Hartford And NBC 5 Chicago Launch Contest To Give Local Small Businesses A Boost

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The Hartford, in partnership with NBC 5 Chicago, has launched the Small Business Boost contest to reward Chicago-area¹ small business owners who play a big role in their local communities. The Small Business Boost is part of The Hartford's Communities with HART program, which supports local communities by helping small businesses grow and by inspiring new generations of entrepreneurs.

"We are excited to invite members of the Chicago-area communities to recognize their favorite small business for all that they do to support their local neighborhoods," said Diane Cantello, vice president of corporate responsibility at The Hartford. "The Hartford is passionate about helping small businesses succeed and we deeply appreciate the role they play in contributing to the vibrancy of local communities."

The contest invites people to nominate their favorite small business in the Chicago area by submitting a brief description on the NBC 5 Chicago Facebook page as to why they believe their nominee should win.

For consideration, the small businesses nominated must:

• Be physically located in Chicago;
• Hire locally;
• Provide a community benefit; and
• Have fewer than 100 employees.

The grand prize winner will receive a $2,500 cash reward and the opportunity to meet with a small business expert. The nominator of the winning business will receive $500.

Entries for the Small Business Boost contest can be submitted via the NBC 5 Chicago Facebook page through Aug. 2, 2015. Qualifying entries will then be posted on the website for public viewing and voting through Aug. 23, 2015. The winner will be announced the week of Sept. 7, 2015.

For more information about the Small Business Boost contest and the eligibility rules, visit the NBC5 Chicago Facebook page.

About NBC 5 Chicago / WMAQ

NBC 5 Chicago (WMAQ) is the NBCUniversal owned television station in Chicago. On October 8, 1948, the station, then called WNBQ-TV, transmitted its first telecast from the Merchandise Mart—the third game of the Indians-Braves World Series in Cleveland, Ohio. The station's current call letters, WMAQ-TV, were established in 1964. During NBC5 Chicago's rich history, the station pioneered a number of television "firsts." On April 15, 1956, NBC 5 became the world's first all-color station. In September of 1986, NBC 5 became the first Chicago commercial station to broadcast in stereo. In 1989, NBC 5 was the first Chicago station to present closed captioning of all local newscasts. Currently, NBC 5 airs over 30 hours of local news per week in HD on its core channel. NBC5 launched its digital channel 5.2 in Nov. 2010. It was rebranded in Jan. 2013 as COZI TV, a mix of retro series, movies and original programming. Viewers can also follow NBC 5 on NBCChicago.com for the latest news, weather, original franchises and streamed original content.

About The Hartford

With more than 200 years of expertise, The Hartford HIG is a leader in property and casualty insurance, group benefits and mutual funds. The company is widely recognized for its service excellence, sustainability practices, trust and integrity. More information on the company and its financial performance is available at www.thehartford.com. Join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheHartford. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TheHartford.

HIG-C

Some of the statements in this release may be considered forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We caution investors that these forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differ materially. Investors should consider the important risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ. These important risks and uncertainties include those discussed in our 2014 Annual Report on Form 10-K, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Forms 10-Q, and the other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We assume no obligation to update this release, which speaks as of the date issued.

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¹Eligible small businesses must be physically located in the WMAQ/ Chicago DMA, which includes Cook, De Kalb, Du Page, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, La Salle, McHenry, and Will in the state of Illinois; and the counties of Jasper, Lake, La Porte, Newton, and Porter in the state of Indiana.

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