PORTLAND, Ore
. — PGE Park, the Portland Beavers and Portland Timbers today announced they have entered into a long-term partnership with Nike to support the Portland Beavers & Portland Timbers Community Fund. In addition, Nike will become the official on-field apparel and equipment provider for both the Beavers and Timbers, providing uniforms, training gear and footwear for the teams as part of the multi-year relationship.
“Nike is committed to helping kids reach their potential through sport, especially here in our backyard community,” said Nike Director of Sports Marketing
Joe Elsmore
.
Nike, which became a founding partner of the Portland Beavers & Portland Timbers Community Fund last year, will continue to lead the way as the teams look forward to unprecedented giving in the coming years; Nike helped the teams give back more than $103,000 in the inaugural year of the Portland Beavers & Portland Timbers Community Fund in 2008.
“With community outreach being a core mission of our organization, it is with great pleasure that we partner with Nike – not only a world-class brand, but also a world-class corporate citizen – to make an even greater impact in Portland,” said
Merritt Paulson
, president of the Beavers and Timbers.
The partnership includes a number of components that will create new opportunities for area youth and the two professional organizations, including the development of the new Timbers U-23s Premier Development League (PDL) team and co-promotional activities at PGE Park and the greater-Portland area. Nike will team with the Beavers and Timbers to promote health and fitness in the community and will be the presenting partner of the teams’ baseball and soccer camps that take place at PGE Park and in the region.
Additionally, Nike will lend its assistance to the 2009 Cricket Wireless Triple-A All-Star Game, which will take place at PGE Park on July 15, 2009.
Nike’s partnership with the Beavers and Timbers continues the company’s strong philanthropic and on-field support of soccer and baseball worldwide.
As a result of the partnership, the Beavers become the first professional baseball team to feature Nike as its official on-field uniform provider.
About NIKE, Inc.
NIKE, Inc. based near Beaverton, Oregon, is the world's leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Wholly owned Nike subsidiaries include Converse Inc., which designs, markets and distributes athletic footwear, apparel and accessories; Cole Haan, which designs, markets and distributes luxury shoes, handbags, accessories and coats; Umbro Ltd., a leading United Kingdom-based global football (soccer) brand; and Hurley International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes action sports and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories. For more information, visit nikebiz.com.
About the Portland Beavers & Portland Timbers Community Fund
The Portland Beavers & Portland Timbers Community Fund (PBPTCF) supports charitable, non-profit organizations, registered as a 501(c)(3) with tax-exempt status from the IRS, and that are located within one of the four surrounding counties of the Portland-metro area: Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas and Clark County in Southwest Washington. Founded in 2008, the PBPTCF aims to donate more than $100,000 each year to youth-focused initiatives in the areas of education (specifically the K-12 grade levels); fitness and sports; childhood obesity and environmental awareness.
