By Brittany Davidson

The last day of The Make It Better Summer Tour ‘09 Presented By Kia Motors started early in the morning, still a little misty and chilly from the night before, with a visit to our radio affiliate. Hannah, or Coach “Hands On Deck” as we have nicknamed her this week, even got up a couple hours early to join JK25, Dale Schlueter, Harry Glickman and Dick Vardanega to experience all that happens during our affiliate visits.

After a stop back at the hotel to regroup and grab a quick bite to eat, we loaded up our Kias, made a pit stop for some coffee and drove down a couple blocks to the Newport Recreation Center, a gorgeous, newer, naturally lit center that offers all kinds of fitness on two levels. We had some kids already waiting for us as we entered the gym and as we set up and got ready for the clinic, many more came in. Some in jeans, some in flip flops, some in basketball gear.

Even though Newport was our last stop for the week after miles and miles of traveling and three previous days of clinics, energy and fun was still at an all-time high. Warm-ups included the basics of running, stretching, pushups and sit-ups, but we like to keep things fun on Summer Tour so we mix it up. Coach Stelly and Coach Boomer, or Coach “Eyes” as we renamed him, had the youngsters jumping, crab walking and cart wheeling. He ended this portion of the clinic by having everyone, all 85+ kids, join hands and do the wave.

Following the skills stations and a group photo, it was time to give out prizes. I know I have mentioned that we dance during prize time and I remembered to capture some of it on video in Astoria. To take a quick peek at prize and dance time click here. Our final clinic of the ‘09 Make It Better Summer Tour presented by Kia Motors concluded with every hooper receiving a shirt, lanyard, yearbook and autographs from Harry, Dale, JK25, Antonio and their coaches for the day.

Following our goodbyes and thank yous, it was back to our trusty transportation: the Kia Borregos. We headed out of Newport and back to One Center Court but not before a pit stop at Barnacle Bill’s in Lincoln City, longtime Trail Blazers fans. We dropped off some memorabilia and had some very yummy crab cocktails and smoked salmon – a highly recommended stop.

As our travels of Summer Tour 2009 come to an end, we just want to say thank you to all the friends we have made and those we were able to reconnect with, and a big thanks to Kia Motors for helping make the tour possible. We taught our game to hundreds of kids, spoke to our fans, traveled over 1500 miles and drove across two states. We had a blast and cannot wait for next year!

Newport Photo Gallery

Tour Stops: Longview || Fort Lewis || Astoria || Newport

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