Morgantown Mall, Owned by Glimcher Realty Trust, Recruits New Sponsor and Builds New Play Area!

January 27, 2010

“The timing of the entire deal was excellent,” says General Manager Harry Grandon of Glimcher's Morgantown Mall. “The sponsor’s marketing director visits often and one day a mom approached him with a story that made him realize the sponsorship was all worth it."

Morgantown Mall is located in Morgantown, WV.  After recently undergoing a major renovation, Morgantown community hospital Mon General Health Systems was looking to get the word out about their changes and also to encourage a healthy lifestyle in the community. A play area for children seemed like a perfect fit.

Installed in December 2009, the hospital’s marketing director visited the area and was pleased to see it crawling with kids and parents. Then a mom approached him. Grandon was with him.

“She asked if he was from Mon General and he said he was,” Grandon recalls. “She immediately went on and on about how wonderful the play area was! And then she said she had her first baby at Mon General and loved her entire experience there. It was exactly what they needed to hear and what we needed to hear.”

The play area, which was designed, manufactured and installed by PLAYTIME, LLC includes a play element that replicates the brand-new entrance at the hospital.

“Mon General has a new iconic entry with a nice atrium and skylights,” says Grandon. “We took photos and gave them to PLAYTIME and they incorporated those iconic features into the play area. The people from Mon General are tickled to death.”

Grandon says the new partnership was a natural fit for both Morgantown Mall and the hospital.

“They also sponsor a health fair at the mall every year and they bring in all types of screenings and services,” explains Grandon. “Many people in the community come for everything from EKGs to bone density tests at low or no cost. We’ve had a great partnership for years so it was natural to talk to them about sponsoring a play area.”