UTICA — The Masonic Medical Research Institute (MMRI) will be representing Central New York in the official game program for Super Bowl LVII. The game guide will be handed out in-person to fans at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on Sunday, Feb. 12, when the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Kansas City Chiefs. Over 73,000 people are expected to be at the stadium, with over 100 million viewers watching the game live on TV.

“We’re excited and proud to represent Utica and the community of Central New York in this way,” said Dr. Maria Kontaridis, executive director of the MMRI. “Eagles or Chiefs, no matter who you’re rooting for, we want fans to know that when they bet on science, we all win, making a difference for all humankind.”

The MMRI’s Super Bowl ad is part of a fundraising campaign, and the institute created a web link specifically for Super Bowl fans to donate to the MMRI. The not-for-profit institute, which was instrumental in the development of the pacemaker and the defibrillator, instruments that save lives every day from cardiac arrest, plans to use dollars raised in this campaign to fund crucial medical research and to help its continued building expansion, which will bring more jobs to Central New York.

The MMRI’s three areas of focus are cardiovascular, autoimmune and neurocognitive disorders. The institute’s science team is specifically working to advance and combat the causes of heart failure, diabetes, lupus, and autism.

For more information on the Masonic Medical Research Institute, visit mmri.edu. To view or donate to the MMRI’s Super Bowl donation page, visit: mmri.edu/sb.

View the MMRI ad in the official Super Bowl game program,  here.