Southwoods new sponsor of Covelli box office

YOUNGSTOWN — The Covelli Centre has reached a five-year agreement to have Southwoods Health be its box office sponsor through 2020.

In an announcement today, Covelli officials said an official ribbon-cutting ceremony will be at 11 a.m. Monday at the city-owned center.

Half of the center’s ticket sales are at the box office, which is unique for entertainment-and-sports facilities, said Eric Ryan, the center’s executive director.

“Because the box office has a great deal of exposure to the community, we wanted to partner with a locally-owned, forward-thinking organization to give that area in the building a strong identity,” Ryan said. “I don’t think we could have wished for any better of an entity than Southwoods Health because of not only their reputation of excellence in healthcare, but also their commitment to the community.”

Time Warner Cable sponsored the center’s box office for seven years with that contract expiring at the end of 2014, Ryan said.

Southwoods is an acute care hospital in Boardman, and provides various health services at other locations including Southwoods Centers for Sleep.