For the third year in a row, Bank of Ann Arbor returns as the club’s title sponsor. As they continue to be the leader in building a stronger Ann Arbor, their support for The Mighty Oak has been monumental. Last year, AFC Ann Arbor introduced two new kits, including a Bank of Ann Arbor green kit that will be seen regularly at home in 2017.
Other returning partners include Wickfield Properties, Audi of Ann Arbor, MOVE Wellness, Grizzly Peak, Milk Means More, Jolly Pumpkin, BTB Burrito, The Pretzel Bell, Underground Printing, Blue Tractor, Big George’s, Absopure, Orangetheory Fitness and Concordia University.
New for 2017 are a number of key partnerships that will help The Mighty Oak continue to pursue their mission of growing the game within Washtenaw County while promoting health, wellness and community.
Official Wellness Sponsor St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor
AFC Ann Arbor has collaborated with St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor in a new marquee sponsorship aimed at enhancing health and wellness programming along with expanding the overall reach of those programs. In addition to becoming the Official Wellness Sponsor of AFC Ann Arbor, St. Joe’s will be the presenting sponsor of The Mighty Oak Youth Project providing scholarships to youth players in need of assistance to attend local camps and clinics. As part of the collaboration, St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor’s logo will be featured on The Mighty Oak’s new training gear (tops and pullovers).
St. Joe's is also providing support to the team in the form of leading sports dietitian Lisa McDowell. In addition to being the Detroit Red Wings team sports performance dietitian, McDowell also serves as a Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics Member of the United States Olympic Committee Sport Dietitian Registry. Her experience and expertise will help elevate The Mighty Oak’s wellness strategy.
For GM and co-owner Bilal Saeed, the collaboration with St. Joe's is all encompassing. “We share many core principals with St. Joe's so a collaboration between AFC Ann Arbor and the Ann Arbor location is a natural fit. We not only hope to reach a larger audience with this opportunity, but most importantly, reach those who haven’t had the access or opportunity before. As we grow our footprint entering season three, a relationship like this allows us to continue to spread our love for the beautiful game.”
"This collaboration with AFC Ann Arbor aligns perfectly with our goals as a health system to help people lead healthier lives out in the community where they work and play, " said Dave Brooks, president, St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor and Livingston hospitals. "St. Joe's is investing in initiatives that encourage a healthy and active lifestyle in order to make an impact on the health of our community."
Saint Joseph Mercy Health System affiliate Probility Physical Therapy also will be joining AFC Ann Arbor as an official sponsor for 2017. They will support The Mighty Oaks with Athletic Training services for the team’s practices and games and will be working with The Mighty Oaks all year.
Official Soccer Retailer- Soccer Plus
The Mighty Oak have also partnered with Soccer Plus as the Official Soccer Retailer of AFC Ann Arbor. The southeast Michigan based soccer organization founded in 1995 has been providing team gear, equipment and the newest and hottest soccer apparel to the Ann Arbor community for over 15 years.
AFC Ann Arbor tickets and gear can now be purchased at the Ann Arbor location. Soccer Plus will also be sponsoring the newly improved Kids Zone at all home league matches.
Partnership with Clean Planet Foods
Also new for 2017 will be a partnership with Michigan based, Clean Planet Foods. Their approach is to make honest, healthy food and to make it safe, flavorful, and easy to get and prepare. Through this partnership, Clean Planet will be providing the team with their exceptional, easy to prepare meals.
Clean Planet Foods CEO Shawn Spencer said this about the partnership, “We are excited to partner with AFC Ann Arbor as we will be powering the players with great tasting, healthy, nutritious and awesomely convenient food to help them consistently perform at an optimal level.”
Official Online Ticketing Partner - MERIT & The Michigan Cyber Range
Merit founded in 1966, owns and operates America’s longest-running regional research and education network. After 50 years of innovation, Merit continues to provide high-performance services to the educational communities in Michigan and beyond.
Merit continues to leverage its experience managing NSFNET, the precursor to the modern Internet, to catapult Michigan into the forefront of networking technologies. Through Merit, organizations have access to leading-edge network research, state and national collaborative initiatives and international peering.
As the face of our online ticketing system, this partnership will help expand the reach and messaging of the importance of cyber security and the training and professional opportunities that exist within Michigan specific to that field.
“Merit and the Michigan Cyber Range are very excited to sponsor AFC Ann Arbor. Merit has been a cornerstone of Ann Arbor for over 50 years and we see organizations like AFC Ann Arbor as key contributors to the great quality of life we have in the community. We're looking forward to cheering on the team as they have another great season,” said Dr. Joe VP of Research and Cybersecurity.
Megan Mazurek
One of the most well-known realtors in Ann Arbor, Megan Mazurek, also happens to be an enormous AFC Ann Arbor fan. When the opportunity to sponsor the team came up, she didn’t hesitate and saw this as an opportunity to help promote health, wellness and community in Ann Arbor. For more information on Megan visit her website here.