Goodbye Applebee’s Park, hello Whitaker Bank Ballpark, as the home of the Lexington Legends (Low Class A; Sally League) has a new naming-rights partner in Whitaker Bank Corporation.
“The opportunity to be the naming rights sponsor for the Legends was one that we could not pass up,” said Elmer K. Whitaker, CEO of Whitaker Bank. “The Legends have had a lot of success with baseball as well as the many different events they host each year. We are always looking for ways to be more involved in the community and to enrich the lives of our customers – becoming the naming rights sponsor for the ballpark was the perfect way to achieve this.”
The contract with Whitaker Bank goes through 2020, with the option for renewal.
“It’s been exciting prepping for this transition and welcoming Whitaker Bank to the Legends family,” said Alan Stein, president and CEO of the Legends. “We knew we wanted to continue to partner with a local, Kentucky-based company, and Whitaker fits the bill perfectly. We are very lucky to have such great support for our Kentucky team and stadium from a Kentucky company.”
In the weeks that followed the December announcement about Thomas & King/Applebee’s, the Legends have been hinting at the identity of the new naming rights sponsor with a Who’s On Deck? campaign and contest. Brooke Kendall of Cynthiana correctly guessed the new name of the stadium and won two box seat season tickets for the 2011 season.
“The past few weeks have been really fun for us,” said Andy Shea, general manager of the Legends. “Having Whitaker Bank come in has really energized the public and our staff for the upcoming season. We’re ready to get started with what will surely be a smooth and successful transition.”
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