Published 04-11-01
Submitted by Nike Inc.
A first-ever program by Nike and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) means thousands of pairs of athletic shoes will be saved from becoming landfill – and a needy community will get a new basketball court. As part of the nine-city Earth Day Reuse-A-Shoe Collection, members of BGCA's SWOOSH Clubs will collect used athletic shoes that will get turned into Nike Grind.
To thank the teens for their efforts, Nike will donate a basketball court made with Nike Grind to a facility of the clubs' choice. The clubs will be given a choice of 10 locations in dire need of a court, and members will vote on the location. A Grind court is worth $40,000 and uses 2,500 pairs of shoes.
"This is an opportunity to have our SWOOSH Club members actively learn about recycling, as well as participate in their first national team effort," said Tim Richardson, Senior Director, Sports, Fitness, and Recreation, BGCA. "In addition, the teens will feel the spirit of giving when the floor theoretically comprised of their collected shoes is installed in one of the more disadvantaged Boys and Girls Club sites."
Nike has been actively involved with the BGCA for five years. Many clubs already have Nike Grind sports surfaces so this project continues that tradition.
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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 lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories and Hurley International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes surf and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories. For more information, visit www.nikeinc.com.
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