The home of the Lansing Lugnuts (Low A; Midwest League) has a new name: Jackson Field, as the team has entered into a seven-year ballpark naming-rights agreement with Jackson National Life Insurance Company.
The hometown Jackson National Life Insurance Company has been a Lugnuts sponsor for several years, beginning as a field-level sponsor in 2010. This announcement extends their sponsorship to cover the entire ballpark, including the playing field. The Lugnuts’ home ballpark, which opened in 1996 on Michigan Avenue between Cedar and Larch Streets, had been Cooley Law School Stadium since 2010.
“This is an immensely important day for us,” said Lansing Lugnuts owner Tom Dickson. “We’ve had a strong relationship with Jackson for the last 10 years and we’re excited to take this next step forward, signing a long-term investment that will benefit the City of Lansing and Mid-Michigan in the next decade.”
“The Mid-Michigan community has been Jackson’s home since we were founded almost 60 years ago,” said Michael Falcon, Jackson CEO. “When the opportunity arose to increase our support for Lansing’s downtown stadium, Jackson saw the investment as a way to partner with the city and the Lugnuts to ensure our community has affordable, family-friendly entertainment and a place to gather for many years to come.”
As has been Jackson’s practice since 2010, each time a Lugnuts player hits a home run during a home game, the company donates $100 to a local nonprofit. Since 2010, these charity home runs have generated nearly $40,000 for Lansing-area organizations. The Boys & Girls Club of Lansing is one organization that has benefited since 2010 from Jackson’s homerun donations.
“Corporate partners like Jackson look for creative ways to support our mission beyond just traditional channels,” said Carmen Turner, President of The Boys & Girls Club of Lansing. “In addition to the extra monetary donations they send from the Lugnuts home runs, they invite our teens to enjoy games in the Jackson suite and help the Club gain awareness in our community with the homerun promotions in the ballpark. These are privileges we would have to spend donor dollars on, if it wasn’t for Jackson.”