May News from The Spirit

Celebrating Springfield's Biggest, Best and Brightest

We are so excited to have Nathan Costa, Springfield Thunderbirds President, and the team serve as the 2019 World's Largest Pancake Breakfast Honorary Chairs. Afterall, they are Springfield's Hometown Team!

We hope you join us in honoring them on Saturday, May 11th. Be sure to wear your Springfield Thunderbirds attire.

- Judy Matt

President

Springfield Thunderbirds Named Honorary Chairs

With supporters and volunteers on hand, MGM President and Chief Operating Officer Michael Mathis named Nathan Costa, Springfield Thunderbirds President and the team, as the 2019 World's Largest Pancake Breakfast Honorary Co-Chairs. Nathan was presented with an official Spirit of Springfield jacket and Boomer received a sash.

The Springfield Thunderbirds are being honored for the outstanding contributions they have made to the community. They will be at the May 11^th breakfast serving coffee, juice and milk, and showing off the team's Fanboni.

Show your support for the Springfield Thunderbirds by wearing team jerseys, hats and shirts. If Boomer sees you, he just might treat you to breakfast.

See more photos!

Pancake Breakfast Menu Expands

The World's Largest Pancake Breakfast continues to expand. There will be the traditionally fluffy pancakes, topped with Cabot Creamery Butter and sweet syrup. It will be served along with Carando Classic Italian Bacon. Beverage stations will be pouring milk and juice from H. P. Hood and gallons of coffee from the Sheraton Springfield. They will also have Entenmann's Little Bites in celebration of the 20^th anniversary of the mini muffins.

All the products that are served and what they are served on are donated by area businesses. Performance Food Group donates the syrup and the pancake batter which is prepared by Mercy Medical Center. Baystate Health and Mansfield Paper donate thousands of plates, cups, napkins and utensils.

"MGM Springfield is proud to once again support this unique annual tradition in the city's downtown," said Michael Mathis, MGM Springfield President & COO. "This was one of those early moments in Springfield that captured our imagination and allowed us to see the possibilities for rejuvenating this great American city. We were especially inspired by the teams of volunteers from Springfield's business, political and non-profit communities, who give of themselves so that families, neighbors and friends can share a meal together. We look forward to another inspiring and delicious Pancake Breakfast."

It is a true community effort!

Bright Nights Ball Tickets Limited

With Congressman Richard Neal and MassMutual Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Roger Crandall co-chairing the 2019 City of Bright Nights Ball, businesses and individuals have been eager to reserve their tickets early. More than 370 of the 500 tickets have been purchased.

Tickets for the November 9^th gala at MGM Springfield are $350 each with tables of ten available for $3,500. Sponsorships are $7,000 and include a table for ten guests and tickets to the Chairman's Reception hosted by MGM Springfield President and Chief Operating Officer Mike Mathis.

In addition to MassMutual, the annual gala is being sponsored by MGM Springfield, American International College, Baystate Health, Columbia Gas of Massachusetts, The Colvest Group, Gleason Johndrow Landscaping, Health New England, and more.

To secure a reservation, contact the Spirit of Springfield at 413-733-3800 or [email protected].

Judy Goes to Ireland

As a part of the tourism alliance with the Dingle Peninsula and Aer Lingus new direct flights to Dublin, Judy Matt traveled to Ireland with a delegation from Western Massachusetts lead by the Greater Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau (GSCVB). They promoted all the area has to offer in every season. The delegation was welcomed by Minister Brendan Griffin of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, the CEO Moira Murell of Kerry County Council, local officials, tourism and community representatives at the Dingle Tourist Information Office.

Judy's traveling companions including Attorney Melinda Phelps, Spirit of Springfield Chair, Paul Lambert from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Gene Cassidy from the Eastern States Exposition, West Springfield Mayor Will Reichelt and former Mayor Ed Sullivan, Laurie McDonald from Yankee Candle, Karen Fisk, Springfield Museums, Mary Kay Wydra, Michele Goldberg and Alicia Szenda from the GSCVB.

BREAKING NEWS

Mark your calendars! Set your alarms! The Bright Nights Road Race Registration will open on Monday, September 16th at 12am. The first 500 to complete the registration will run through Bright Nights on Monday, December 2nd at 6:30pm. Rain date is Tuesday, December 3rd.

Road Race Sponsors are guaranteed two registrations.

In This Issue

Springfield Thunderbirds Named Honorary Chairs

Pancake Breakfast Menu Expands

Bright Nights Ball Tickets Limited

Judy Goes to Ireland

Breaking News!

Guest Column - Nathan Costa, Springfield Thunderbirds

Golfers Wanted

Guest Column

Nathan Costa

President

Springfield Thunderbirds

The city of Springfield is known for many things: the city of firsts, the city of innovation, the birthplace of basketball, the home of an American Hockey League franchise since the league's inception over eighty years ago, and last but not least, Pancakes. More specifically, our community proudly hosts the World's Largest Pancake Breakfast - an annual event in the heart of the downtown that celebrates the birth of Springfield and our collective pride for our city.

It is with great pride that I accept the nomination to be named this year's honorary chairman for the annual event, made possible by the Spirit of Springfield and sponsored by our great partners at MGM Springfield.

As someone who grew up in the city of Springfield, it has been a privilege to be able to run our AHL franchise, the Springfield Thunderbirds, these past three seasons and to see the mirrored growth of both our franchise and downtown Springfield. We are a city and organization on the rise, as proven by huge crowds in downtown Springfield that led to eleven sellouts this season, the opportunity to host the league's signature event -- the Lexus AHL All-Star Classic presented by MGM Springfield -- and the first 5,000 per-game average attendance for AHL hockey in Springfield since the late 90s.

A part of our mission as an organization is to become intertwined within the fabric of our community, and we have worked tirelessly to do just that alongside great partners like the Spirit of Springfield through all of their signature events - most notably the inclusion of a new Thunderbirds-inspired lighting display this past winter at Bright Nights. These types of events, including the 38 games a year that we host at the MassMutual Center, bring out the very best in the city of Springfield, and we are extremely proud to call Springfield our home.

GOLFERS WANTED

Friday, June 7

Mayor's Cup Putting Contest

9:30am

Shotgun Start 10am

Franconia Golf Course

REGISTER TODAY!

Dates for 2019

World's Largest Pancake Breakfast

Saturday, May 11th

8am to 11am

Main Street