The WILF family, which owns the Vikings, yesterday announced "a major foray" into Minnesota philanthropy -- the Wilf Family Center at the Univ. of Minnesota’s Masonic Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis. The $5M center "represents the Wilfs’ largest single donation in Minnesota" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 2/12).
POINTS IN THE PAINT: In N.Y., Kirsten Fleming profiles former NBAer DESMOND MASON, who is now an artist and has "sold his work to notables" such as actor GEORGE CLOONEY, Fox' JOE BUCK and Starbucks CEO HOWARD SCHULTZ. Mason while still playing also sold a painting to then-NBA Commissioner DAVID STERN. Mason's work will be on display today in N.Y. "for the first time in the Athletes for Art Renaissance show." Mason is "passionately focused on his craft in his Oklahoma City studio, where he paints everything from Céline bags to oversize canvases" (N.Y. POST, 2/12).
NAMES: Sporting Innovations, the "sports technology offshoot" of Sporting KC, was named by Fast Company magazine as "one of the world's most innovative companies in sports" for '15 (FAST COMPANY, 3/'15 issue)....Upstart Business Journal named NBA Kings Managing Partner VIVEK RANADIVE to its "Upstart 100" list (BIZJOURNALS.com, 2/10)....Liberty Media Chair JOHN MALONE, whose company owns the Braves, "will join the board of Lionsgate ... in a complicated deal that intertwines the Santa Monica-based movie studio and Malone’s pay-TV channel Starz" (LATIMES.com, 2/11)....The Chicago Auto Show will "once again have a strong Chicago sports presence," with former MLBer KERRY WOOD, former NHLer JEREMY ROENICK and Baseball HOFer FRANK THOMAS expected to attend later this month (CHICAGOTRIBUNE.com, 2/11).
