Posted on August 17, 2005

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Dana-Farber Name Will Grace Patriots' Practice Facility

The Boston-based Dana-Farber Cancer Institute will soon see its name gracing the new practice facility of the New England Patriots, thanks to a gift from businessman Jack Blais, the Boston Globe reports.

A household name in New England, Dana-Farber is less well-known across the country. The unusual ten-year deal, for which Blais paid more than $15 million, will give the institute much-needed national visibility, executives said, starting with American Idol tryouts at the Dana-Farber Field House this month. The Patriots organization will also let the institute use Gillette Stadium for events, and has kicked in hundreds of tickets that it can use to court potential donors. Blais, who has donated nearly $25 million to Dana-Farber, has been a long-time supporter of the institute, which successfully treated his uncle for cancer after he'd been told his condition was terminal.

While naming rights for sports facilities usually end up being bought by corporations, this is not the first time a nonprofit has received such recognition. This past spring, Yellow Transportation and Sprint announced plans to give title sponsorship of a Nascar Busch Series race to the Greater Kansas City United Ways.

Robert Kraft, the Patriot's owner, said the team could have struck a more lucrative sponsorship deal if it had sold the rights to a corporation. "It wasn't about going after the last dollar here," said Kraft. "This is an opportunity to connect a couple of the things we really loved. The branding became more important than the financial return."

Talcott, Sasha. “Charity Becomes Name of the Game.” Boston Globe 8/16/05.

Primary Subject: Philanthropy and Voluntarism
Secondary Subject(s): Health
Location(s): Boston, Massachusetts

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