Legends thank Applebee's/Thomas & King for 10 years of support
Thomas & King signed a 10-year contract with the Legends in 2001, which came up for renewal this year.
"Thomas & King strongly believes in giving back to the community and the past ten years as the naming rights sponsor of the Legends have provided us with countless opportunities to be highly involved in the Lexington community," said Mike Scanlon, President and CEO of Thomas & King. "However, after much thought and consideration, my team and I decided not to sign another contract with the Legends. We will always look back on Applebee's Park with many fond memories and we wish the Legends the best of luck in the future."
Thomas & King and Applebee's were the first naming rights partners of the Single-A minor league team's stadium, who began playing in the South Atlantic League in 2001. Since then, Applebee's has become an integral part of the team and the stadium, with some even dubbing the park "The Orchard", referring to the Applebee's logo.
"Many people worked tirelessly to bring professional sports to Lexington, and the success we've enjoyed has a lot to do with our partnership with Mike and his team," said Alan Stein, President and CEO of the Lexington Legends. "We can't thank Thomas & King and Applebee's enough for their support over the past decade. Now we need to determine who's on deck."
A new naming rights partner has been identified. Details will be announced soon.
At the conclusion of the press conference Scanlon returned a ceremonial key to the stadium to Stein and Stein, in turn, gave Scanlon a two portraits of Applebee's Park as a token of appreciation for the decade of sponsorship.
For tickets and more information about the Lexington Legends, call (859) 422-7867 or visit www.lexingtonlegends.com.