3.01.2004 ET

(CSRwire) Portland, OR - Hailed as "first rate" and "inspiring" by The New York Times, Nike and White Bird are honored to present the award-winning Children of Uganda, Tour of Light 2004 on Wednesday, March 31, 7:30 p.m. at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall as a benefit performance for five Portland-based non-profit organizations.

With pulsing rhythms, quicksilver movements, powerful drums, lyric flutes, and songs of joy and hope, Children of Uganda is an inspiring troupe of 20 children, ages 8-18, orphaned by HIV/AIDS. They have traveled throughout the USA biannually since 1994 and through their exuberant performances and residencies, they have raised millions of dollars to support orphans in Uganda while increasing global awareness of AIDS and its devastating impact on children. According to Alexis Hefley, President of Uganda Children’s Charity Foundation (UCCF), the Children of Uganda "are ambassadors of hope for Uganda’s 1.7 million children who have lost one or both parents to AIDS." A not-for-profit corporation founded in 1995 and based in Dallas, Texas and Kampala, Uganda, UCCF directly provides education, food, shelter, clothing and medical care to hundreds of orphaned children, furnishing the tools they need to become self-reliant members of Ugandan society.

The Tour of Light, as the Children of Uganda tour is called, presents an exciting opportunity for American audiences to immerse themselves in East African culture. The Children of Uganda was originally founded to teach orphaned children the songs, dances and stories that were in danger of being lost, because their heritage and culture were not being passed down to them. The enormously talented children play a variety of handmade drums, harps and xylophones and perform dances from a number of countries including Uganda, Rwanda, Congo, Tanzania and Kenya; they also sing in Luganda, Swahili and English.

The Children of Uganda is also the focus of a curriculum developed by teachers in Portland Public Schools and sponsored by White Bird, which will be taught during March 2004. The multi-disciplinary lesson plans will teach students about the African AIDS crisis and the positive and healing power of the arts. Close to 4000 students and 80 teachers in Portland Middle and High Schools will participate in the curriculum, which will culminate in a free student performance by the Children of Uganda on Wednesday, March 31,11am-12 noon at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. This is the fourth Annual Outreach Project White Bird has developed with Portland Public Schools. The three previous projects have focused on the great African-American choreographer Alvin Ailey, the Ba-Aka Tribe of Central Africa (“The People of the Forest”) and Hispanic Arts and Culture.

All proceeds from the Children of Uganda’s evening performance on March 31 will benefit not only the Uganda Children’s Charity Foundation but also five Portland-based charities addressing African-American issues and the HIV/AIDS crisis: Black United Fund, committed to the social and economic empowerment of Oregon’s low-income communities; Cascade AIDS Project supporting men, women, and youth with HIV and their families, preventing the spread of HIV in populations at highest risk of infection, and advocating for an effective community response to the epidemic; For Us Northwest, providing emotional and social support to young people touched by AIDS--living with HIV is something Oregon’s children should never have to face alone; Harambee Centre, connecting with the people and cultures of Africa; and the Urban League of Portland, helping African-Americans and others to achieve equality in education, employment, and economic security. Each charity will also raise funds through silent-auction items on display in the Schnitzer lobby.

Tickets can be purchased for $18-$40 plus a service fee at the Portland Center for Performing Arts Box Office at SW Broadway and Main and at all Ticketmaster outets. Gold Circle Seating is also available at $85, $90 and $100, and includes premier seating and a reception with the Children of Uganda dancers. Call 503-245-1600 ext. 201 for more information.

About Nike
NIKE, Inc., based in Beaverton, Oregon USA, is the world's leading designer and marketer of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Nike focuses its philanthropic effort on two key areas: bringing the benefits of physical activity to young people, and investing in innovative solutions to the challenges of globalization faced by women and girls. Each year, Nike targets to give three percent of its prior fiscal year’s pre-tax profits to charitable organizations around the world. In fiscal year 2003, Nike donated more than $30 million in cash, product and in-kind contributions, meeting its three percent goal for the third consecutive year. In Oregon, Nike donated more than $4.6 million in cash grants and product donations to hundreds of Oregon non-profit organizations. Nike employees contributed more than $1.9 million to Oregon non-profits—our employees also volunteered with nearly 800 charities in Oregon, which the company matched with a contribution of $10 per hour. Also in 2003, more than 20 executives volunteered their time by serving on nonprofit board of directors in Oregon. For more information about Nike, visit www.nikeresponsibility.com.

About White Bird
White Bird is committed to bringing the best Portland-based, regional, national and international dance companies to Portland and fostering the growth of dance in the city. White Bird accomplishes this by presenting established and emerging companies and choreographers, commissioning new work, and collaborating with other arts organizations in Oregon to make dance performances possible. White Bird keeps ticket prices affordable and develops educational and outreach programs in order to further strengthen our community through broadening the audience for contemporary dance. With a current subscriber base of over 1,930—split between it’s two series, the White Bird Main Series and The White Bird PSU Dance Series—White Bird has presented 56 dance companies and 116 performances. White Bird has commissioned or co-commissioned 16 dance works including Portland’s Jefferson Dancers and the World premiere of Trisha Brown’s “Geometry of Quiet.” To date, White Bird has served a total audience of over 120,000 people, including 5,200 students from the Portland Public School system. For more information about White Bird, visit www.whitebird.org.

The Portland performances of the Children of Uganda are supported by Nike, White Bird and the Portland Center for Performing Arts, with additional sponsorships from d-Zine Warehouse, The Portland Observer and The Skanner. The 2004 White Bird Outreach Project with Portland Public Schools is supported by the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation, Irene Gerlinger Swindells Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation, Juan Young Trust and Equity Foundation.

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