Latest news with #PatrickCassidy
CTV News
04-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
‘Nobody was ever promised a refund': Cactus Rats ticket holders won't get money back, club official says
An official with the Energy City Cactus Rats baseball club says season-ticket holders who requested refunds shouldn't expect to see any money back. Jennifer Vachon and Sandie Miller told CTV News Edmonton they each paid more than $1,000 for season tickets to watch the team. Both women asked for refunds after learning that the team's ballpark, which has been under construction since 2023, would not be ready for this season. Spruce Grove ballpark Energy City Metro Ball Park under construction on July 3, 2025, in Spruce Grove, Alta. (Nav Sangha/CTV News Edmonton) Miller said she was put on a 'refund list,' but had not seen a return of the $1,050 she spent on two season seats. Instead, both women were told their tickets would carry over to the 2026 season, something neither of them say they want. On Friday, CTV News Edmonton spoke to Patrick Cassidy, the managing partner for the club, about the refunds. Cassidy says while the refund list exists, it doesn't mean anyone is getting their money back. 'They're asking about refunds, so we put them on a refund list. It gets called a refund list, and then people assume they're going to get a refund, but they're on a list where people are asking for refunds. So there's kind of a difference there, right?' Cassidy said. He claims the list is internal, and the public wasn't supposed to know about it. 'Somebody got information that says you're on a refund list, and maybe it wasn't clarified, but I can almost guarantee you that nobody was ever necessarily promised a refund.' 'We don't do refunds. We do pay it forward.' Cassidy says season-ticket holders were never told when the ballpark would actually open. 'We've never guaranteed a date. We wouldn't do that. We're still not doing that. When you buy tickets, you sort of buy them with that understanding that it's a project under construction. And if that's too risky for you, there's a lot of people that want to buy tickets,' he said. 'Some people maybe assumed it was going to be a guaranteed opening this year. That was never a story that came from us.' Spruce Grove ballpark Energy City Metro Ball Park under construction in Spruce Grove, Alta., on July 3, 2025. (Nav Sangha/CTV News Edmonton) He chalks the delays up to permitting and zoning issues and land title transfers tied to the self-storage facility, restaurant and residential condos that are also planned for the development. 'Our plan right from day one was to construct the self-storage facility, get it filled and sell it. And that's still the plan. The concept behind that is basically just reduce debt on everything else, maybe eliminate debt. So that's our long term goal.' With files from CTV News Edmonton's Nav Sangha
New York Times
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
What happens when the pope wears your hat?
It is well known by now that Pope Leo XIV is a fan of the Chicago White Sox; he even attended Game 1 of the 2005 World Series, which the White Sox recently commemorated with a mural at their ballpark. His latest public display of fandom? Wednesday, he was spotted at the Vatican sporting a '47 branded White Sox cap, along with his white papal cassock. Advertisement But what actually happens when the Pope wears your hat? Not too many companies can ever say they've ever had someone of his holiness' stature don their cap. So what exactly does that feel like, and what does it do for a brand?? 'He's the ultimate influencer,' said Patrick Cassidy, Vice President of Marketing at '47, adding later, 'What the Pope is wearing is the exact model that a style-conscious fan can get on ' That's pretty cool.' 'It was surreal,' said Gary DeStefano, the Massachusetts newlywed who went viral for handing the pope his fresh new lid. The White Sox cap that the Pope was wearing was a part of their MVP collection. Just a week prior, His Holiness was also seen wearing a Villanova Wildcats hat that was gifted to him by his alma mater. That cap was from '47's Clean Up collection. 'He's becoming this style icon through fandom with '47,' Cassidy said. 'That's a great signifier of where we are as a brand.' In the last few weeks, Cassidy said that celebs such as Kim Kardashian, Timothee Chalamet and Caitlin Clark have been seen wearing apparel from '47, and the company has seen an influx of people on social media wearing their hats and tagging them daily. While '47 — a Massachusetts-based company acquired last year by New Era — didn't give specifics on how their sales numbers have been impacted by the Pope's recent fashion choices, the company seems optimistic about how it will impact their bottom line going forward. 'There's clear signals in every possible way that more and more people are recognizing the '47 brand,' Cassidy said. As for Gary and Kelly DeStefano, the newlywed couple from Massachusetts who gave the Pope the White Sox hat, they saw the aftereffects of what they did before they could even go to sleep that night. On the final day of their 17-day honeymoon in Rome, the two planned to receive the 'sposi novelli', a blessing for newlyweds given by the Pope himself. They initially got the hat from Kelly's cousin with the intention of wearing it in the crowd to get the Pope's attention, clearly aware of his South Side roots. But once the two realized that all of the recently married couples would get a personal greeting from the Pope, they had another idea for what they'd do with the hat. Advertisement Once the Pope came up to them and gave them a blessing, DeStefano took the hat out from his side and asked: 'would you mind putting this on?' Prior to that, DeStefano had mentioned that the two were from Boston and were fans of the Red Sox. So when the Pope saw the White Sox hat, he laughed and said he would wear it, before offering a caveat: 'but, you're going to get in trouble, not me.' By 9 p.m. in Rome on Wednesday, the couple had gone to sleep after what was one of the most memorable moments of their lives together. Two hours later, the two were awoken by the sound of constant buzzing on their phones. The phone rang again on Thursday, as they were about to hustle through customs after their flight back home. By then, the video of the brief interaction — with the Pope telling his joke while modeling his black Sox cap — had gone viral. 'That to me showed the human side in the man,' DeStefano said in a phone interview. 'He is the most humble man, down to earth and funny.' (Top photo of Pope Leo XIV with Gary and Kelly DeStefano courtesy of Gary DeStefano)
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Studio Tenn marks 15 years as Williamson County's theater anchor, announces new season
Since its creation in 2010, Studio Tenn has rapidly grown to become a staple in Middle Tennessee theater. After moving and performing at a variety of venues, the company received a permanent location at The Factory at Franklin's Turner Theater in 2023. 'Fifteen years ago, Studio Tenn was just a dream fueled by a simple belief that Middle Tennessee deserved world-class theaters," said Artistic Director Patrick Cassidy. The company drew some of the area's most talented artists at its April 5 One Night Only fundraising gala, including Tony and Grammy award-winning actress and singer Jessie Mueller. 'I grew up doing regional theater so to be a part of an event like this is truly full circle,' Mueller said. 'Local theater companies are so important and as we saw after COVID, people not only need but want spaces like this.' Studio Tenn operates as an important pillar of the theater community with the company being the only existing one in Williamson County. Currently, there are less than 20 theater companies in the Middle Tennessee area that range from Shakespeare to children's theater. Ensuring that theater can be provided to the Williamson community at an affordable rate has been an important part of the company. 'If it were not for donors, the average ticket price for front row seats would be $245. The back row would be just under a hundred dollars,' said board member and Development Chair Lynne McAlister. "That's only possible because of our amazing sponsors and donations from our theater lovers." The record-braking attendance numbers from this season only further proved the importance of the studio. Their Christmas musical, "Million Dollar Quartet Christmas" was the company's highest grossing musical of all time. Additionally, their rendition of "The Play That Goes Wrong" was the highest grossing play of all time. 'The next 15 years will be challenging,' Morgan said. 'It will be about growing, pushing boundaries, and highlighting diversity. It will be about sharpening our vision to make sure that we remain relevant in the landscape of regional theater while remaining a cultural cornerstone right here in the middle of Tennessee.' At the close of the event, Studio Tenn released the musicals and plays the audience will see in its upcoming 2025 – 2026 season. Those are: Dracula White Christmas Death Trap Boeing Boeing Jesus Christ Superstar 'Tonight, we celebrated not just performances, but perseverance. We celebrated the unwavering love of a community that allowed us to tell powerful stories,' Morgan said. 'But, this is just the beginning. We couldn't do this without your support, passion, and your belief in the power of live theater." Studio Tenn's last show of the 2025 season, "Jersey Boys," is running in Turner Theater from May 1 to 18, with the first show already being sold out. Season tickets for the upcoming season are currently on sale to previous season ticket holders. They go on sale to the general public on April 22. Additional ticket information can be found via or by calling (615) 541-8200. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Studio Tenn marks 15 years of Williamson County theater, new season
