BY ZACHARY CORMIER
Lacombe Express
The Lacombe Sports and Leisure Complex will have a brand new name to go along with its new look.
During a special event at the Gary Moe Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram dealership on Tuesday, the City of Lacombe announced the Gary Moe Auto Group will be the new naming rights sponsor of the facility, which is currently undergoing a major renovation.
The new name of the building will be the Gary Moe Auto Group Sportsplex for at least the next 15 years as part of the sponsorship.
“There’s a huge importance. As the City of Lacombe, we reach out to donors and this is the first time where we’ve gone this route. It’s incredibly, incredibly generous for the Gary Moe Auto Group to believe in our facilities, to believe in maintaining them and to believe in the City enough to put their name on the front of this building,” said Lacombe Mayor Steve Christie.
Christie said the sponsorship will help to offset the capital costs for the renovation of the facility, which includes extensive main lobby renovations as well as the addition of several new dressing rooms and it will serve as the home ice of the 2016 Allan Cup Champion Lacombe Generals of the Chinook Hockey League.
“We’ve been in talks with the Generals for a couple of years now and one of the things was a dressing room in that facility. It adds to the success of their team, it draws players. When they have a great place to be and a great facility, it makes for a great team,” Christie said, adding that the new facility will benefit many different groups within the City.
“It’s not everything because we have a lot of user groups. We have minor hockey, we have ringette, we have lacrosse, we have swimming. It’s the hub of our recreation facilities and I think these renovations will definitely enhance the facility for all of the user groups.”
Gary Moe, president of the Gary Moe Auto Group said his company is proud to be the first to enter into a naming rights agreement with the City.
“We are excited to partner with the City of Lacombe on this much valued community facility,” he said. “It’s pretty awesome. We’re very fortunate to be in a position that we can do this and it’s just awesome on the City of Lacombe to give us the opportunity.”
As part of the deal, by purchasing the naming rights, Gary Moe Auto Group becomes the exclusive automotive dealer advertiser for the Sportsplex.
Christie said while the naming rights deal is the first to be announced, there may be more sponsorship announcements to come.
“We have a great business community that has supported us for many years. You just walk into the arena and you get to see their advertising on the boards and in the curling rink and in the pool. Thank you for the past support in that facility and the future support. This is a 15 year deal with the Gary Moe Auto Group and there are other deals that are in the works and that will be announced over the next little while.”
zcormier@lacombeexpress.com