Blazers Street Jam Kickoff
March 18, 2004
The Portland Trail Blazers, Special Olympics Oregon, and NIKE are teaming up to present the country’s leading outdoor 3-on-3 basketball experience this July. The Blazers Street Jam Presented by Nike promises to be the largest 3-on-3 basketball festival in the U.S., serving as an important economic contributor to the Portland metropolitan area.
All net proceeds from the event will benefit Special Olympics Oregon, a statewide year-round program offering 14 different Olympic-style sports to athletes with mental disabilities.
“Special Olympics Oregon is excited to partner with the Blazers and Nike to bring this extraordinary event to Portland and Oregon. The global recognition and popularity of Special Olympics is a tremendous asset for the promotion of Blazers Street Jam. The revenue generated from the event will provide invaluable support to Special Olympics athletes statewide,” said Margaret Hunt, CEO, Special Olympics Oregon.
The official public launch of Blazers Street Jam Presented by Nike will take place on Saturday, March 20 on the Rose Garden Arena Concourse. Bill Schonely, longtime voice of the Portland Trail Blazers, and official voice of the event, will emcee.
Guest speakers include Steve Patterson, Portland Trail Blazers President; Jerome Kersey, Portland Trail Blazers and Honorary Chairman, Blazers Street Jam; Glen Coblens, Nike Global Community Affairs Manager; Margaret Hunt, Special Olympics Oregon CEO; and Jim Francesconi, City of Portland Commissioner.
Held July 16 through 18, the event will provide a fun-filled weekend for the whole family with basketball, music, and festivities throughout this celebration of athleticism, community involvement, fair play, and Oregon’s rich basketball heritage.
“Blazers Street Jam Presented by Nike represents a very unique and important community partnership between the Portland Trail Blazers, Special Olympics Oregon, and NIKE. I look forward to a fantastic future for this event,” said Steve Patterson, Portland Trail Blazers President.
A projected attendance of 30,000 athletes and spectators is expected to gather for the round robin-style 3-on-3 tournament, slam dunk contest, three-point competition, free NikeGO Kids’ Clinic, and appearances by Trail Blazers players and local celebrities. The tournament portion of the event features five separate divisions based upon age and skill level.
Adult teams will be placed in their choice of either competitive or recreational divisions and seeded based upon height and average age. Two youth divisions have been created to accommodate youth ages and under.
“Nike is excited about helping to bring a large-scale 3-on-3 tournament to Portland’s thriving basketball community,” said Glen Coblens, Manager for Nike Global Community Affairs. “We hope that our support for the event will honor the city’s—and state’s—outstanding basketball tradition and inspire all athletes to enjoy the life-long benefits of being physically active.”
Media partners for the event include Newsradio750 KXL, KGW Northwest NewsChannel 8, KKRZ-Z100FM, Comcast Cable Communications, Inc., The Portland Tribune and Community Newspapers, Inc.
Les Schwab Tire Centers is the official sponsor of Special Olympics Oregon State Games and is dedicating a portion of their print media in support of the event. For tournament details and registration, go online to
www.blazersstreetjam.com.
About Special Olympics
Oregon Special Olympics Oregon is a year-round program offering 14 different Olympic-style sports to athletes with mental disabilities. Over 5,000 athletes participate from nearly every county in Oregon.
In the Special Olympics program, people with mental disabilities enjoy the rare opportunity to be treated as people, not just as disabled. Through sport, Special Olympics athletes gain self-confidence, social competency and other enhanced skills, both physical and social. For more information about the Special Olympics program, visit
www.soor.org.
About the Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers is an NBA Basketball franchise founded in Portland, Oregon in 1970. The team won its only World Championship in 1977 under the leadership of basketball great Dr. Jack Ramsay. The Portland Trail Blazers have believed in the value of corporate citizenship since the team’s inception in 1970, and in giving back to the community where it works and plays.
The Blazers Boys & Girls Club, the first and only club sponsored by a professional sports team, opened its doors in 1995. In addition, the Blazers work to support youth in the areas of health, education and fitness and have an extensive employee volunteer program called Blazers Community Builders.
About Nike
NIKE, Inc., based in Beaverton, Oregon USA, is the world's leading designer and marketer of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Nike focuses its philanthropic effort on two key areas: bringing the benefits of physical activity to young people, and investing in innovative solutions to the challenges of globalization faced by women and girls.
Each year, Nike targets to give three percent of its prior fiscal year’s pre-tax profits to charitable organizations around the world. In fiscal year 2003, Nike donated more than $30 million in cash, product and in-kind contributions, meeting its three percent goal for the third consecutive year.
In Oregon, Nike donated more than $4.6 million in cash grants and product donations to hundreds of Oregon non-profit organizations. Nike employees contributed more than $1.9 million to Oregon non-profits—our employees also volunteered with nearly 800 charities in Oregon, which the company matched with a contribution of $10 per hour. Also in 2003, more than 20 executives volunteered their time by serving on nonprofit board of directors in Oregon. For more information about Nike, visit
www.nikeresponsibility.com.
