Eighth annual venture to connect with communities travels to McMinnville, Tillamook, Astoria, St. Helens . . . and visits Washington for first time with final stop in Vancouver
PORTLAND, Ore. (August 31, 2022) – The Portland Trail Blazers and Moda are thrilled to join hands once again as they embark on their eighth annual Rip City Rally. Tipping off on Monday, September 12, a team of Trail Blazers and Moda staff set out on a tour of towns across Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington, bringing communities together with energy and enthusiasm to showcase that the Trail Blazers are much more than just “Portland’s team.”
The red hot and rollin’ journey will begin in McMinnville and finish in Vancouver, marking the first time that the Rally has crossed the Columbia into Washington. This stop celebrates the fact that the Trail Blazers are indeed the Pacific Northwest’s team.
An entire day of events is scheduled in each city along the route. Representatives from the Trail Blazers and Moda will visit area schools and engage with youth through career panels, school assemblies and P.E. activities. Each visit will conclude with a ceremonial ribbon cutting with city officials, followed by a free outdoor community fair from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. As part of the Trail Blazers/Moda partnership to showcase healthy and active living, Moda will donate playground balls to every elementary school in each of the five rally towns to encourage outdoor play.
Here are the locations for each Rip City Fair along the Rally route:
- McMinnville, September 12 – Damian Lillard Toyota
- Tillamook, September 13 – Outside the County Pioneer Museum & City Hall
- Astoria, September 14 – Outside the Aquatic Center
- St. Helens, September 15 – McCormick Park
- Vancouver, September 16 – Esther Short Park
“It is fantastic to be partnering with our friends at Moda once again to safely bring our Rip City Rally to towns across Oregon and Washington after a two-year hiatus,” said Dewayne Hankins, President of the Trail Blazers and Rose Quarter. “We’re thrilled to be able to hit the road and bring the experience of the Trail Blazers to communities that might not have the opportunity to visit Moda Center during the season.”
“At the very beginning of our partnership with the Trail Blazers, we committed to work together to build healthier communities”, said Dr. William Johnson, president of Moda Health. “And that’s exactly what we do. This rally is a great way for us to get out, meet people and connect.”
Trail Blazers personalities participating in different legs of the rally will include Television and Radio Broadcasters, In-Arena Host Todd Bosma, Blaze the Trail Cat, the BlazerDancers and more.
Please visit trailblazers.com/ripcityrally for updates and information all along the rally.