First United Bank and Lubbock-Cooper Independent School District have reached an agreement that will allow First United Bank to obtain naming rights for the Lubbock-Cooper High School athletic complex. The area comprised of Pirate Stadium and the baseball and softball complexes will be named First United Park.
Effective September 1, 2016, naming of the athletic complex will be as follows:
Lubbock-Cooper ISD board members voted in May to grant First United Bank naming rights to the sports complex over a 10 year period. In return, the district will receive a $500,000 contribution to be given up front. Funds may be used to defray the ongoing expenses associated with the operation of Lubbock-Cooper High School athletics.
“Lubbock-Cooper ISD values our partnership with First United Bank, and we appreciate the spirit of generosity, community, and Pirate Pride continually displayed by the First United Bank family,” said Keith Bryant, superintendent of Lubbock-Cooper. “First United Bank is a friend of Lubbock-Cooper and of education, and their support of our school allows us to continue providing the highest quality education along with a wealth of opportunities for all of our students.”
The bank committed an additional $250,000 in sponsorships and support of the district to be paid in installments over the duration of the 10 year agreement. A portion of these funds will be used to provide ongoing support of the Lubbock-Cooper Education Foundation which provides grants for innovative teaching ideas and student scholarships for graduating seniors.
Additionally there will be funds provided to be used at the discretion of LCISD Administration to support academic programs as well as numerous sponsorships to support the school’s athletic programs.
“We believe that competitive athletics teaches students the value of teamwork and goal setting, and further assists in the development of strong minds and healthy bodies,” said R. Mark Bain, chief executive officer of First United Bank. “Our hope is that this partnership will enhance the athletics programs, the academic programs, and the faculty and students of Lubbock-Cooper High School.” “Lubbock–Cooper ISD is experiencing tremendous growth and we recognize that much of this growth is due to the quality education being received by students in the Lubbock-Cooper school district. We are honored to partner with Lubbock-Cooper ISD in this venture and look forward to supporting them in their continued growth”.
Bain further states “We will be implementing a signage package at First United Park that enhances and compliments the overall look of the football, baseball and softball complexes as well as to promote the respective Pirate and Lady Pirate athletic teams”.
Bain indicated the overwhelming majority of the new signage would be carried out in the primary Lubbock-Cooper colors of red and black. First United Bank will incur all costs associated with the design, production and installation of the new signage which is scheduled for installation in the coming weeks.
(Press release from First United Bank)
