Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz channeled his inner Yolanda Vega as he selected 10 not-for-profit groups who will share the use of the county-designated suite at Highmark Stadium this football season.
The selection was for what not-for-profit organizations would have access to the county-designated suite in Highmark Stadium. The county was allocated a suite by the Buffalo Bills as part of the 30-yeat-lease the team signed for the stadium and because Erie County allocated $250 million towards the development of the $2.2 billion stadium that makes its official debut on Aug. 8.
According to a policy jointed crafted by the Erie County Legislature and Poloncarz and his staff -and, for regular season games:
* The Erie County Industrial Development Agency, Visit Buffalo and Empire State Development each get use of the 16-person suite - one game each.
The suite must be used for business development purposes.
* For the five remaining regular season games - two not for profits will get eight seats each to use.
* Whatever agency uses the suite must pay for their own food and beverages. No alcohol is allowed to be ordered as part of the food and beverage package for the not-for-profits.
"If someone wants a beer, they can buy one at a concession stand," Poloncarz said.
* No county official - elected or appointed - is allowed in the suite.
* All of the eligible not-for-profits must be a registered 501 (c) 3 and have five years of valid 990 forms filed with the IRS.
"We wanted something transparent," said county lawmaker Taisha St. Jean Tard.
* Whatever group uses the suite must supply the names of those who were in attendance.
* Any group that wins the suite lottery is precluded from entering in the lottery system for five years.
Poloncarz said 254 groups applied, in a process that began in late June and had a July 24 deadline.
Of that 180 met the qualifications.
Erie County civil servants were selected to use the suite for the Bills' Aug. 8 scrimmage and two pre-season games. Most were county employees who worked on the stadium project.
"We wanted an open process," Poloncarz said.
St. Jean Tard was pleased with the first go around but left open for a post-season review.
"There's nothing wrong with looking at the policy every year," St. Jean Tard said.
So who the lottery?
- Sept. 17 home opener vs. Detroit Lions - Erie County IDA
- Sept. 27 vs. Los Angeles Chargers - Western New York Public Broadcasting Association and Specialized Early Childhood Center of WNY
- Oct. 4 vs. New England Patriots - Mental Health Association of Erie County and Girl Scouts of WNY
- Nov. 1 vs. Baltimore Ravens - Boys and Girls Club of Orchard Park and Big Easy in Buffalo Inc.
- Nov. 22 vs. Miami Dolphins - Empire State Development
- Nov. 26 (Thanksgiving night) vs. Kansas City Chiefs - Baker Hall Inc. and Gateway Longview Inc.
- Dec. 19 vs. Chicago Bears - Visit Buffalo
- Jan. 9 or 10 vs. New York Jets - Buffalo Architecture Foundation Inc. and Habit for Humanity
Three selected alternate groups:
- Make-A-Wish
- Buffalo Police Athletic League
- Theodore Roosevelt Inauguration Site Foundation.
Erie County holds its first-ever Highmark Stadium suite lottery
Erie County holds its first-ever Highmark Stadium suite lottery
