! MEDIA!CONTACTS:!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Michael!Lewellen,!Trail!Blazers/Rose!Quarter,!503.797.9679 Aaron!Grossman,!Trail!Blazers/Rose!Quarter,!503.797.9808 !! TRAIL!BLAZERS!TEAM!WITH!NIKE!TO!TAKE!YOUTH! !TO!NEW!HEIGHTS!IN!PORTLAND! ! PORTLAND,!Ore.!(February!4,!2016)!–The!Portland!Trail!Blazers!and! Nike!are!uniting!in!their!efforts!to!grow!youth!basketball!across!! and!Southwest!Washington!with!the!goal!of!getting!more!kids!active! through!early,!positive!experiences!with!basketball. ! Nike! will! bring! the! following! support! to! the! Trail! Blazers’! youth! basketball! efforts! through! the! fiveYyear! partnership! valued! at! more! than!$2!million!in!cash!and!product: ! • Rip!City!Academy:!Nike!will!partner!with!the!Trail!Blazers!to! provide!Nike!jerseys,!Trail!Blazers!game!tickets,!access!to!coaching! clinics,!and!other!affiliation!and!access!opportunities!to!the!Trail! Blazers!youth!program.!! ! • Basketball!PE!Kit:!Nike!and!the!Trail!Blazers!will!pilot!a!basketball! PE!kit!aimed!at!providing!PE!teachers!with!equipment,!curriculum! and!training!to!deliver!positive!experiences!in!basketball!to! elementary!school!kids.! ! • Camps!and!Clinics:!The!partnership!will!increase!access!to! basketball!outside!of!school!through!summer,!holiday,!and!spring! break!basketball!camps!and!clinics.! ! • Sport!for!Health!Grants:!Nike!is!partnering!with!the!Trail!Blazers! Foundation!for!its!Sport!for!Health!grants,!which!provided!eight! organizations!a!total!of!$102,000!in!the!summer!of!2015!and!will! continue!to!fund!nonprofit!organizations!in!2016!to!encourage! kids!and!families!to!be!active.! ! “Kids!today!are!less!active!than!they’ve!ever!been,!with!70%!dropping! out!of!sports!before!age!13,”!said!Trail!Blazers!Vice!President!of!Social! Responsibility! Christa! Stout.! “That’s! why! the! Trail! Blazers! Foundation! awarded! more! than! $100,000! in! grants! last! year! supporting! local! organizations! focused! on! getting! kids! more! active.! And! now! in! partnership!with!Nike,!we’re!going!to!be!able!to!make!an!even!larger! impact.” ! “Sport!has!the!power!to!unleash!human!potential,”!said!Caitlin!Morris,! Senior! Director! of! North! America! Community! Impact! for! NIKE,! Inc.! “Together,! Nike! and! the! Trail! Blazers! will! give! kids! in! Portland! an! opportunity!enjoy!the!benefits!of!basketball!both!in!and!out!of!school.! We’re!excited!to!get!kids!moving!more!and!to!help!get!them!on!a!path! toward!leading!more!active,!healthier!and!more!successful!lives.”! ! ABOUT!THE!PORTLAND!TRAIL!BLAZERS Members!of!the!National!Basketball!Association!(NBA),!the!Portland!Trail!Blazers!were! founded! in! 1970! and! purchased! by! Paul! G.! Allen! in! 1988.! The! team's! rich! heritage! includes!31!playoff!appearances,!three!trips!to!the!NBA!Finals,!an!NBA!championship!in! 1977! and! a! commitment! to! community! service! and! sustainability.! With! a! corporate! mission!to!make!it!better!in!the!community,!the!Trail!Blazers!strive!to!help!children!and! their!families!throughout!Oregon!and!Southwest!Washington!live,!learn!and!play.!The! Trail! Blazers! are! the! first! and! only! professional! sports! franchise! to! receive! the! prestigious!National!Points!of!Light!Award!for!excellence!in!corporate!and!community! service.! The! Trail! Blazers! home! arena,! the! Moda! ,! earned! LEED! Gold! Recertification!in!2015!after!becoming!the!first!existing!professional!sports!venue!in!the! world! to! receive! LEED! Gold! status! in! 2010.! The! team! is! also! one! of! the! founding! members! of! the! Green! Sports! Alliance.! For! more! information,! visit! www.trailblazers.com.! ! ABOUT!NIKE!COMMUNITY!IMPACT Nike!believes!in!the!power!of!sport!to!move!the!world!and!unleash!human!potential.! However,!the!world!is!moving!less!and!less,!and!today's!generation! of! children! is! the! least! physically! active! ever.! That’s! why! Nike! works! to! get!kids!(ages! 7Y12)!active! early! and! for! life,! because! active! kids! are! happier,! healthier! and! more! successful.!Together! with! its! employees,!partners,!consumers!and! athletes,! Nike! also! supports! important! causes!that!strengthen!communities!across!the!globe.!Learn!more. !

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