Manchester, N.H. - The New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Double-A
affiliate of the Toronto Blue
Jays, and Northeast Delta Dental
today
announce a long-term partnership that includes the stadium naming
rights for Northeast Delta Dental Stadium.
"We
are
pleased to expand our partnership with Tom Raffio and Northeast Delta
Dental,"
said owner of DSF Sports Art Solomon.
"The relationship between these two organizations has developed
wonderfully
thanks to our common focus on service and community. We are proud to
know that
the Fisher Cats will now play ball at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium."
Concord,
New Hampshire-based Northeast Delta Dental continues a longstanding
relationship
with the Fisher Cats, having been the team's presenting partner for the
2009
and 2010 seasons, the title sponsor of the 2009 and 2010 Granite State
Baseball
Dinners, and for the 2008 and upcoming 2011 Eastern League All-Star
Games.
"This
sponsorship will enhance our already strong partnership with the New
Hampshire
Fisher Cats," said Tom Raffio,
president
& CEO of Northeast Delta Dental. "Stadium naming will
strengthen
brand awareness and provides a number of marketing strategies for
Northeast
Delta Dental to reach out to the public with important reminders about
the
importance of good oral health practices and the relationships of oral
health
to overall health."
Northeast
Delta Dental administers the dental benefits of over 725,000 people in Maine, New
Hampshire,
and Vermont. It offers dental insurance
programs for
organizations of all sizes, and individuals with no access to
employer-sponsored dental insurance, to encourage the preventive
procedures
that are important to oral health.
Northeast Delta Dental is well known for the excellence of
its customer
service. Having
been recognized
nationally as "One of the 25 Best Small Companies to Work for in
America," and
as "One of the 10 Best Companies to Work For in New Hampshire," each
for five
consecutive years, one of Northeast Delta Dental's most recent awards
was the
national 2010 Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in
Workplace
Flexibility. In
addition to supporting
many community organizations in its three states, it awards grants to
oral
health programs through the Northeast Delta Dental Foundation to
increase the
impact of its oral health mission.
"It has
been amazing to see what the Fisher Cats and Northeast Delta Dental
have been
able to accomplish as partners over the years and this is another step
forward
together," said Fisher Cats President Rick
Brenner. "We are excited about the future and are happy to
call Northeast
Delta Dental Stadium our home."
Through the
annual Granite State Baseball Dinner, the Fisher Cats and Northeast
Delta
Dental have partnered to raise over $316,000 for the Children's
Hospital at
Dartmouth-Hitchcock, the Ted Williams Museum
and The Fisher Cats Foundation in the last two years.
On
May 7,
2004, the initial groundbreaking took place for the stadium that has
become a
destination for fans and families to enjoy the Fisher Cats
Entertainment
Experience. Since
it first opened on
April 7, 2005, Northeast Delta Dental Stadium has welcomed 2,103,005
fans
through the gates for Fisher Cats regular season and playoff games as
one of
the Eastern League's top drawing teams during that time.
As
the
centerpiece for the community, Northeast Delta Dental Stadium also
hosts events
in addition to the Fisher Cats' 71-game home schedule, including NHIAA
Baseball
State Championships, high school and collegiate games, concerts,
fundraisers
and private events. The
team's unconditional
commitment to providing its guests with a unique brand of affordable
family
entertainment has allowed the Fisher Cats to remain New Hampshire's
premier outdoor entertainment
destination and best entertainment value.
The
Fisher
Cats have recently been recognized by Minor League Baseball with the
prestigious Larry MacPhail Award in 2010 as the nation's best team in
promotional effort and community involvement.
In 2009, Baseball America
presented
the Fisher Cats with the coveted Bob Freitas Award, recognizing the
club as an
outstanding franchise that has achieved long-term success in Minor
League
Baseball. The New Hampshire Business Review has, for
three consecutive years,
recognized the club with the Best of Business Award as the "Best
Sporting Venue
to Take a Client".
Northeast
Delta Dental assumes the naming rights of what was formerly
Merchantsauto.com
Stadium from the Merchants Automotive Group, which spent the last five
seasons
and all but one year of the ballpark's existence as the Fisher Cats'
stadium
naming rights partner.
"The
Singer
Family and the entire staff at Merchants Automotive Group are
extremely proud
to have been the original naming rights sponsor at
Merchantsauto.com
Stadium," said Stephen Singer,
President of Merchants Automotive Group. "Our
relationship with Art Solomon, Rick
Brenner and the Fisher Cats team could not have been better and
certainly exceeded our high expectations. We are looking forward to
continuing this
relationship on several levels as both the Fisher Cats and Merchants
Automotive
Group strive to improve the quality of life in our community."
The
2011
All-Star Season will bring a record 29 scheduled Atlas Fireworks Shows,
the
Northeast Delta Dental Eastern League All-Star Game, 19 premium
giveaway items
and the return of Ollie the Bat Dog to Northeast Delta Dental Stadium. The Fisher Cats will also
debut uniforms
featuring the new team colors of red, white and blue in the first year
of the
naming rights partnership with Northeast Delta Dental.
New
Hampshire Fisher Cats Full- and Half-Season Tickets for the 2011
All-Star
Season at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium, including Opening
Day 2011 on April 7
and the 2011
Northeast Delta Dental Eastern League All-Star Game on July 13, are on sale now.
Mini-Ticket Plans for the 2011 season are also available
by calling
(603) 641-2005 or by visiting www.nhfishercats.com.
