Nike and the Portland Trail Blazers Team Up to Revitalize Portland’s Public Basketball Courts

Nike and the Portland Trail Blazers Team Up to Revitalize Portland’s Public Basketball Courts

– Up to 100 courts at 30 Portland Parks & Recreation parks will get a makeover and upgrades, as a result of a $1,050,000 donation from the two organizations–

Portland, Ore. – June 21, 2018 – Today,Nike and the Portland Trail Blazers announced they are partnering to refresh and upgrade the majority of the basketball courts across 30 Portland Parks & Recreation parks. The Portland City Council today approved the partnership agreement with Nike and the Portland Trail Blazers.

Nike’s contribution to the 2018 Portland Basketball Courts Revitalization Project is a one-time donation of $750,000 to Portland Parks & Recreation, to be administered by Verde, to be used for the revitalization of the courts, while the Portland Trail Blazers will donate $100,000 a year for the next three years (2018-2020). Nike and the Trail Blazers will also continue to support youth programming on the courts including Summer Free for All, the Portland Parks & Recreation summer program that provides free lunches and summer activities for kids during the day and great family activities in the evening.

Up to 100 courts across Portland will be repaired and refreshed with new paint and a new design featuring the name of the park. The backboards will also be redesigned with the name of the park’s quadrant. Repairs to the court surface and replacement of backboards and hoops will take place as needed.

An anticipated reveal of the renewed court and backboard design is planned for late summer 2018, with individual court completions taking place from fall 2018 through fall 2019. Nike and the Trail Blazers have selected Verde—an Oregon nonprofit organization that serves communities by building environmental wealth through social enterprise, outreach and advocacy—to receive and manage the grant funds. Their social enterprise program Verde Builds will serve as the general contractor for the project.

“Parks are at the heart of communities across the city, and a place for Portlanders of all ages to gather and play together,” said Commissioner Amanda Fritz. “The partnership will support repairing some of the most needed basketball courts in the parks system. I appreciate this opportunity to improve the recreational opportunities throughout Portland.”

This project is a continuation of the 2002 Anniversary Project in which Nike donated more than $2 million to the Portland Parks Foundation, in celebration of its 30^th anniversary, to resurface all the outdoor basketball courts in 75 days as Nike’s way of thanking the Portland area for being its home since 1972. In addition to the park name, the courts will also feature the Trail Blazer pinwheel and Nike swoosh logos.

Said Mayor Ted Wheeler: “The continuation of Nike’s commitment and partnership with the Portland Trail Blazers will extend the legacy of providing quality courts and youth programming that are accessible to all kids in Portland. These courts are a tremendous public resource, and the City of Portland appreciates Nike and the Portland Trail Blazers for their efforts. 

“Nike’s ongoing partnership with Portland Parks & Recreation reflects our commitment to the City of Portland, and to inspiring sport and physical activity for kids as part of our belief that kids aren’t made to sit still, they’re made to play,” said Karol Collymore, Senior Manager, Global Community Impact, Oregon at Nike. “We’re thrilled to continue our support of Portland’s courts with the Portland Trail Blazers, knowing how much they share our passion for kids, community, sport and creating equal playing fields for all.”

“Partnering with Nike, Portland Parks and Recreation, and Verde to revitalize several of the city’s outdoor basketball courts is an exciting opportunity,” said Christa Stout, Vice President of Social Responsibility for the Trail Blazers. “The partnership allows us all to continue to prioritize equitable access to basketball across the city, which will also include fun programs with our youth coaches and the community.”

The Portland Parks & Recreation parks included in the 2018 Portland Basketball Courts Revitalization Project:

1. Alberta Park
2. Argay Park
3. Bloomington Park
4. Brooklyn Park
5. Clinton Park
6. Colonel Summers Park
7. Dawson Park
8. Ed Benedict Park
9. Gabriel Park
10. Grant Park
11. Harney Park
12. Healy Heights Park
13. Irving Park
14. Kenton Park
15. Lents Park
16. McKenna Park
17. Mount Tabor Park
18. North Park Blocks Park
19. Oregon Park
20. Overlook Park
21. Parklane Park
22. Peninsula Park
23. Pier Park
24. Portland Heights Park
25. Powell Park
26. Sellwood Park
27. Sewallcrest Park
28. Trenton Park
29. Wallace Park
30. Woodlawn Park

About Portland Parks & Recreation
Portland Parks & Recreation helps Portlanders play - providing the safe places, facilities, and programs which promote physical, mental, and social activity. We get people, especially kids, outside, active, and connected to the community, increasing the wellness of our residents and the livability of our city. We establish, safeguard and restore the parks, natural areas, public places, and urban forest of the city, ensuring that these are accessible to all. We also develop and maintain excellent facilities and places for public recreation and community building, provide dynamic recreation programs and services that promote health and well-being for all and partner with the community we serve.

About Nike Community Impact 
Nike believes in the power of sport to unleash human potential and build community. We fuel this belief through Made to Play, our commitment to getting kids moving through play and sport so they can lead healthier, happier and more successful lives. Together with community partners and our employees around the world, we’re designing innovative solutions to get more than 16 million kids playing, running and jumping their way to a brighter future. Find out more about Nike's commitment to getting kids moving and providing opportunities for equal playing fields for all at communityimpact.nike.com.

About The Portland Trail Blazers
Members of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Portland Trail Blazers were founded in 1970 and purchased by Paul G. Allen in 1988. The team's rich heritage includes 34 playoff appearances, three trips to the NBA Finals, an NBA championship in 1977 and a commitment to community service and sustainability. The Trail Blazers are dedicated to positively impacting underserved kids and their families throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington where they live, learn and play. Portland is the first and only professional sports franchise to receive the prestigious National Points of Light Award for excellence in corporate and community service. The Trail Blazers home arena, the Moda Center, earned LEED Gold Recertification in 2015 after becoming the first existing professional sports venue in the world to receive LEED Gold status in 2010. The team is also one of the founding members of the Green Sports Alliance. For more information, visit trailblazers.com.

About Verde
Verde serves communities by building environmental wealth through social enterprise, outreach and advocacy. Since 2005, Verde has brought new environmental investments to Portland’s neighborhoods, involved community members in the planning and building of these investments, and ensured that low-income people and people of color directly benefit from the investments

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