July 27, 2007
Orlando, Fla. (www.UCFAthletics.com) - Insurance Office of America (IOA) announces a pledge of $2 million bestowed upon the University of Central Florida Athletics Association (UCFAA) on behalf of The IOA Foundation, Inc. In recognition of their generosity, the UCFAA will grant the main plaza outside the Bright House Networks Stadium to carry the IOA name for the life of the facility.
The IOA logo and accompanying tag line, "Insurance is just the beginning" will be located directly in the donor recognition plaque outside Bright House Networks Stadium's west entrance.
This gift is the third $2 million pledge to the UCFAA within the last two years, bringing the total to approximately $32 million raised towards the $38 million Bright House Networks Stadium Campaign. And it is just the initial contribution of many initiatives toward a mutually beneficial and lasting relationship between IOA and UCF.
"Central Florida's corporate community has shown extraordinary support for the Bright House Networks Stadium. This gift will build the Insurance Office of America Plaza, which will help make game day an even greater experience for students, alumni, and fans," said UCF President, John Hitt.
IOA CEO and Founder, John Ritenour agreed, "Partnership is a cornerstone of the IOA culture and a partnership with UCF is a natural extension of who we are. When I agreed to visit the construction site of the new stadium, I was blown away by magnitude of what UCF has accomplished in a short time. This complex is second to none, so we were excited about the opportunity to help UCF achieve their goal of having first class facilities."
Construction on the 45,000-seat stadium began in May 2006. UCF's Board of Trustees approved the financing plan for the stadium in December 2006. With the opening of Bright House Networks Stadium, IOA will become a part of history, as UCF will be playing on campus for the first time. The Knights spent the previous 28 seasons at the Florida Citrus Bowl in downtown Orlando. UCF will make its Bright House Networks Stadium debut on Sept. 15 against Texas. Following, UCF will play six home games in 2007.
"We are very thankful for the generous support from Insurance Office of America in helping us make the game day experience at UCF and, in particular, Bright House Networks Stadium that much more memorable," added Keith Tribble, UCF's Director of Athletics and Executive Vice President. "The support from our community by way of season ticket sales and from our corporate community has been outstanding, and the gift from Insurance Office of America is testament to that."
IOA Sr. Vice President and 1989 UCF baseball alumnus, Jeff Lagos, concluded, "As a proud UCF alumnus, I am thrilled that the addition of the new Athletic Village will help establish UCF as a premier university. It will enhance not only their image, but the entire Orlando community will gain benefits from the existence of these facilities. This is where our home office is, so it only made sense for us to support a project that will benefit us all."
About Insurance Office of America
Insurance Office of America is a privately held, full-service insurance agency founded in 1988 and is one of the fastest-growing independent agencies in the U.S. IOA is Florida's largest privately-held insurance agency, ranks 17 on the Hales & Company Private Brokers/Agencies list and 40 on the Business Insurance 100 Largest Brokers/Agencies of U.S. business list. The agency was named one of the top three Commercial Insurance Agencies of the year, 2005, by National Underwriter. And locally, IOA receives high marks--the Orlando Business Journal awarded us 59th on the Central Florida's Golden 100 list, 2004; plus recognized us as one of the Best Places to Work, 2007. A member of Independent Insurance Agents of America, IOA's home office is located in Longwood, FL with 22 branch offices reaching eight states from coast to coast. Founder, John Ritenour, believes that social responsibility and corporate philanthropy are the cornerstones of a successful company and community.www.ioausa.com
About The IOA Foundation, Inc.
The IOA Foundation, Inc. believes that social responsibility and generosity are the building blocks that pave the road to a company's success. Not the reverse. At IOA, we're not generous because we're successful, we've become a success because we've always done our part for the communities we serve.
If we could, we'd give to everyone in need, man, animal and child alike. However, we need to be selective, share our time and be fair. Each year our focus changes as we forge new partnerships and learn of new needs and deficiencies.
Though the Foundation's focus is on the prosperity of children, birth through college, our giving reaches far and puts wide smiles on the faces of many. Our charitable endeavors include, but aren't limited to: children, education, health and wellness, animals, social services, entrepreneurship, mentoring, financial empowerment and financial literacy.
For more information about the IOA Foundation, Inc. please contact James Tyson, Vice President External Affairs at (407) 998-5496 or James.tyson@ioausa.com.
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To purchase season tickets for the 2007 UCF Knights home schedule call the UCF ticket sales office at (407) 823-1000. For the latest news and information on the Knights, tickets or apparel log on to www.ucfathletics.com - the official site for UCF athletics.