FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                              September 27, 2007

TOWN OF CARY AND WAKEMED ANNOUNCE SOCCER PARK PARTNERSHIP

WakeMed to take the reigns from SAS in 2008

CARY , NC – After lending its name and support to the region’s largest soccer park for more than five years, SAS will be handing off the baton to fellow corporate citizen and community partner WakeMed Health & Hospitals next year when, on January 1, 2008 , Cary ’s SAS Soccer Park will officially be renamed Cary ’s WakeMed Soccer Park .   

Considered one of the premier soccer venues in the country, Cary ’s soccer park is home to North Carolina ’s only USL First Division professional soccer team– the Carolina RailHawks – and the new W-League professional women’s team.  It features a 7,000-seat stadium, eight additional training fields, a first-class cross-country course, locker rooms, and concessions, as well as two stadium suites.  The park also hosts numerous special events such as the ACC and NCAA soccer championships and is a venue for youth soccer programs throughout the Triangle. More than 360,000 people visit the park annually.

“ Cary is fortunate to have so many great businesses willing to step up and partner with the Town for the benefit of our larger community,” said Cary Mayor Ernie McAlister.  “We’re extremely appreciative of the support SAS has given us in helping make the park a success, and we look forward to now being able to partner with WakeMed on taking the facility to the next level.”

“As an organization committed to the health and well being of our community, sponsorship of this park is an excellent opportunity for us to reinforce the message of how physical activity contributes to a healthy lifestyle,” said Dr. Bill Atkinson, WakeMed’s president and CEO.  “We look forward to our partnership with the Town of Cary and the Carolina RailHawks and are pleased to help continue strengthening this unique community resource.”

“We are gratified to have played a role in establishing this world-class soccer park in our community,” said SAS Senior Vice President Jim Davis. “We have seen the park grow from a local facility to one that is nationally recognized.  We are proud to have been able to associate the SAS brand with a facility that brings value to our community.”

“The Carolina RailHawks had a great relationship with WakeMed during our Inaugural Season, so we were thrilled to hear that they were going to be the new naming rights partner at the park,” said RailHawks owner, President and General Manager Chris Economides. “We thank SAS for their support of soccer and this facility over the past few years and are looking forward to a great future with WakeMed.  It’s extremely important that the partner whose name is on the facility have an involved, engaged relationship with the Carolina RailHawks, and WakeMed has made that commitment over the last year and a half, so we are certainly looking forward to the years to come.”

Located at 201 Soccer Park Drive just outside of downtown Cary , the park was built by Wake County Government in 2002 on land provided by the State of North Carolina .  At the county’s request, the Town of Cary began operating and maintaining the facility in 2004.  Part of the Town of Cary ’s role in managing the facility includes developing and executing sponsorship agreements. Cary ’s agreement with WakeMed is for three years, for which WakeMed will contribute $300,000 per year. 

About Cary

At just over 123,000 people, Cary is a thriving community in the heart of central North Carolina adjacent to renowned Research Triangle Park. Cary is consistently ranked as one of the safest cities in America and has been praised for its high quality of life by MONEY Magazine, Forbes, and Frommmer’s. In addition to its professional soccer and cross-country racing venue, the Town of Cary operates the National Training Complex for USA Baseball as well as the Cary Tennis Park, which regularly hosts college and USTA tournaments.  www.townofcary.org

About WakeMed Health & Hospitals

WakeMed Health & Hospitals is a private, not-for-profit health care organization based in Raleigh , N.C.   The 870-bed system comprises a network of health care facilities throughout Wake and Johnston Counties, including: a Level I Trauma Center and tertiary referral hospital and rehabilitation hospital in Raleigh, a community hospital in Cary, a comprehensive outpatient center and freestanding emergency department in North Raleigh and one under construction in Apex, eight outpatient rehabilitation sites, two skilled-nursing and outpatient facilities, a 100+-physician multi-specialty practice, and home health services.  WakeMed’s team of 7,000 nurses, technologists and medical support staff and more than 1,000 affiliated physicians serve the residents of North Carolina using the most advanced technologies and facilities to ensure the finest in health care.  www.wakemed.org.

About SAS

With its world headquarters located in Cary , NC , SAS is the leader in business intelligence and analytical software and services. Customers at 43,000 sites use SAS software to improve performance through insight from data, resulting in faster, more accurate business decisions; more profitable relationships with customers and suppliers; compliance with governmental regulations; research breakthroughs; and better products and processes. Since 1976, SAS has been giving customers around the world THE POWER TO KNOW®. www.sas.com

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