February 7, 2017
February 2017 Partner of the Month: Columbia Fireflies
In their inaugural season, the Columbia Fireflies baseball team knocked it out of the park. The Columbia Fireflies are the South Atlantic League affiliate of the New York Mets. The Fireflies play games across the southeast and mid-Atlantic regions, including against in-state rivals Charleston and Greenville.
The team partnered with the city of Columbia and Hughes Development to construct Spirit Communications Park, a multi-use outdoor sports and entertainment venue at the center of the Commons at Bull Street development. During baseball season, the Columbia Fireflies provided employment opportunities for 751 local workers and utilized a wide variety of local contractors.
They were recently voted the # 1 Ballpark Experience in the South Atlantic League by Stadium Journey Magazine — noting not only its excellent design and emphasis on the fan experience, but also its potential to create economic activity in the area. The team recently announced that the 2017 South Atlantic League All-Star Game would be played at Spirit Communications Park. The game – which takes place on Tuesday, June 20, 2017 – will be the first SAL All-Star game in Columbia since 1992
Since joining the Chamber in 2015, the Fireflies staff has covered all of the bases at the Chamber including the SchmoozaPalooza Networking Expo, Military Affairs Committee meetings, Partner Relations Committee meetings, and other chamber networking events. The Fireflies have also attended and sponsored the Chamber’s Annual Gala.
Their staff has demonstrated local leadership on a multitude of community organization boards, including the Columbia Urban League, North Columbia Business Association, Boys & Girls Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and incoming board member of Columbia Capital Rotary to name a few. Two of the top executives for the Columbia Fireflies are also adjunct professors at the University of South Carolina.
The Fireflies have used their home of Spirit Communications Park to host a multitude of events including the Cornbread Festival, Midlands Gives, Toys for Tots distribution, Red Cross Blood Drives, and much more. Before moving into the ballpark, the Fireflies used their location in the Vista as a drop off locations for flood victims to aid the United Way.
The Fireflies also partner with over 70 non-profits during the baseball season to feature these organizations at each home games and let them showcase themselves in front of a new audience. The Fireflies staff is involved around the community individually, but the staff also worked collectively to log 68 hours of service during the Salvation Army’s bell-ringing season. The Fireflies also worked closely with 3 other South Carolina baseball teams to raise over $50,000 for flood relief.
The Columbia Chamber is honored to present the Columbia Fireflies as the February 2017 Partner of the Month.
To learn more about the Columbia Fireflies, visit their website.
For more information about the Columbia Chamber Partner of the Month, or to nominate a current Chamber Partner, please visit our website.