Toms River Announces $151,000 Bubble Sponsorship Deal

TOMS RIVER, NJ — People may think of it as "The Bubble," but the indoor sports complex at Toms River Intermediate East has a new name: the Rothman Orthopaedics Sports Complex.

The district formally announced the sponsorship deal Monday as it unveiled the banner on the Bubble, which sits on Hooper Avenue.

The four-year deal between the district and Rothman Orthopaedics is for $151,000 total, with a $25,000 sponsorship through the end of 2022, and $42,000 each of the remaining three years. It was approved in November by the Toms River Regional Board of Education.

“We are thrilled to partner with the Toms River School District on the naming rights of the Bubble,” said Dr. Alexander Vaccaro, president of Rothman Orthopaedic Institute. “We’ve served the Toms River community for years and are honored to develop a true partnership dedicated to supporting and educating youth athletes.”

The district has been seeking sponsorship for the Bubble for several years, in addition to the revenue the complex brings in as a venue for sports competitions in particular. The Bubble hosts numerous track meets during the winter season, including sectional and group championships for the NJSIAA.

According to a news release from the Toms River Regional Schools, Rothman Orthopaedics had been looking to connect with more communities through high school sports. The organization already has a partnership with the NJSIAA for its wrestling championships, but had stated it wanted to connect more.

Shore District Advertising, which manages marketing for the Toms River Regional Schools, learned of Rothman's interest and connected it with the Toms River district.

“This venue is eminently recognizable, and serves as an important physical asset for student athletes throughout New Jersey, as well as a financial asset for this district,” Superintendent Mike Citta said. “This new partnership with Rothman Orthopaedics maximizes that value, while also bringing attention to the great work being accomplished by the practice, which is especially helpful for the athletes and families utilizing the complex throughout the year.”

The complex parking lot has been paved and the interior has new lighting, mechanical infrastructure upgrades and dedicated brick-and-mortar restrooms instead of portapottis, and as well as climate control features to expand its use to year-round.

In addition to the Rothman Orthopaedics sponsorship deal, the Toms River Regional school board approved a five-year renewal of the arena sponsorship with RWJ Barnabas Health at its March meeting. That agreement is worth $705,500 over the five years.

Revenue from the sponsorships and from events held in the Bubble and at the RWJ Barnabas Health Arena is used to help with some of the district's general operating expenses, as well as keeping the operation of the facilities self-sufficient.

Rothman Orthopaedics is the official team physicians for the Philadelphia Eagles, Phillies, and 76ers, the Radio City Rockettes, the Big EAST Conference, and more than 40 college and high school teams, the company said.

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