Kia Motors Presents Summer Tour 09: Eugene
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BY BILL EVANS
EUGENE – On the final day of leg one of the Statewide Summer Tour, the Kias brought us to Eugene, which meant our 8-person traveling contingent had not one, but two celebrities.
Adrian Stelly, our Basketball Outreach Coordinator, is a former Duck (2003-07), who spent time catching up with some old college friends on Wednesday night while the rest of us watched Summer League action from Las Vegas.
Later in the evening, several fans sidled up upon our intense inter-office game of shuffleboard to meet Jerome and say thank you for his contributions to the Trail Blazers.
I can’t imagine what it is like to be recognized everywhere you go – part burden, part ego boost? – but JK is truly a great ambassador for this team, a definite man of the people.
He certainly doesn’t get the celebrity treatment from his Trail Blazers co-workers. More than anyone, Jerome’s role is critical to making a week like this successful. He is part spokesperson, part coach, part motivator, part parent, part salesman. The role is much more than ceremonial.
We had him at radio affiliate KPNW for a 6:15 a.m. interview, and at a breakfast meeting of the Eugene Airport Rotary by 7 (while most of us were still sleeping). By 10:00, the gym is full of 60-70 kids and he’s manning the defense station, reminding kids that anything you want requires hard work and occasionally reminding them to say please and thank you.
The whole while, he has a smile on his face, he’s laughing, joking and being a friend to his co-workers. So what if he can’t boast about being office shuffleboard champ; we don’t expect him to be perfect.
Our organization is lucky to have Jerome, and several other former Blazers for that matter, continue to live in Oregon and represent the Trail Blazers organization. It makes our job easier!
After four days on the road, five camps, too many trips to Elmer’s, countless interviews, and a few fun detours, week 1 of the second annual Statewide Summer Tour is a wrap.
On behalf of my fellow travelers – Jerome, Adrian, Alissa, Kris, Athena, Gregg and Dick V. - our thanks to Kia for the wheels and the opportunity to spread the Trail Blazers gospel throughout Southern Oregon.
Also thanks to Nike, to the facility directors, the Cow Creek Tribe, the K-Falls Bi-Mart, the GPS system, the inventors of satellite radio, our friends at Gino’s and the many wonderful Trail Blazers fans we encountered along the way. Over and out.
EUGENE – On the final day of leg one of the Statewide Summer Tour, the Kias brought us to Eugene, which meant our 8-person traveling contingent had not one, but two celebrities.
Adrian Stelly, our Basketball Outreach Coordinator, is a former Duck (2003-07), who spent time catching up with some old college friends on Wednesday night while the rest of us watched Summer League action from Las Vegas.
Later in the evening, several fans sidled up upon our intense inter-office game of shuffleboard to meet Jerome and say thank you for his contributions to the Trail Blazers.
I can’t imagine what it is like to be recognized everywhere you go – part burden, part ego boost? – but JK is truly a great ambassador for this team, a definite man of the people.
He certainly doesn’t get the celebrity treatment from his Trail Blazers co-workers. More than anyone, Jerome’s role is critical to making a week like this successful. He is part spokesperson, part coach, part motivator, part parent, part salesman. The role is much more than ceremonial.
We had him at radio affiliate KPNW for a 6:15 a.m. interview, and at a breakfast meeting of the Eugene Airport Rotary by 7 (while most of us were still sleeping). By 10:00, the gym is full of 60-70 kids and he’s manning the defense station, reminding kids that anything you want requires hard work and occasionally reminding them to say please and thank you.
The whole while, he has a smile on his face, he’s laughing, joking and being a friend to his co-workers. So what if he can’t boast about being office shuffleboard champ; we don’t expect him to be perfect.
Our organization is lucky to have Jerome, and several other former Blazers for that matter, continue to live in Oregon and represent the Trail Blazers organization. It makes our job easier!
After four days on the road, five camps, too many trips to Elmer’s, countless interviews, and a few fun detours, week 1 of the second annual Statewide Summer Tour is a wrap.
On behalf of my fellow travelers – Jerome, Adrian, Alissa, Kris, Athena, Gregg and Dick V. - our thanks to Kia for the wheels and the opportunity to spread the Trail Blazers gospel throughout Southern Oregon.
Also thanks to Nike, to the facility directors, the Cow Creek Tribe, the K-Falls Bi-Mart, the GPS system, the inventors of satellite radio, our friends at Gino’s and the many wonderful Trail Blazers fans we encountered along the way. Over and out.
