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BOSTON, Mass. (July 1, 2008) – Major League Lacrosse (MLL), the premier professional outdoor lacrosse league, and New Balance today announced a partnership to raise funds and awareness for Special Olympics. In conjunction with the MLL All-Star Game on July 17th in Denver, New Balance will offer 40 limited-edition Chinese Dragon themed jerseys that will be worn by the MLL All-Stars then signed and auctioned online with 100% of the proceeds benefiting Special Olympics. China was home to the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games which were held in Shanghai last October.
“Major League Lacrosse is honored to partner with New Balance to benefit Special Olympics,” says MLL Commissioner David Gross. “From the hard-work and determination of their athletes, to the tireless efforts of their staff members and volunteers, Special Olympics is truly an inspirational organization.”
The 2008 Major League Lacrosse All-Star Game will take place on Thursday, July 17 at 8 PM MT at Denver’s INVESCO Field at Mile High and will be broadcast live on ESPN2. For the second consecutive year, players from the League’s Eastern Conference will square-off against their Western Conference counterparts.
Bidding for the limited-edition All-Star jerseys will begin at the game and will continue online at www.majorleaguelacrosse.com through August 15th. All proceeds will go towards the 2010 Special Olympics National Games, which will take place in July in Nebraska and will feature approximately 4,000 athletes and coaches competing over seven days. The New Balance Foundation has generously agreed to match the amount raised by the auction.
"This year the Special Olympics movement celebrates 40 years of changing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities through sports, building more inclusive and engaged communities where each person, regardless of ability, is accepted and welcomed and where every individual contributes," says Bob Gobrecht, Managing Director, Special Olympics North America. "As we look toward the future, the 2010 Special Olympics USA National Games are excited to be the beneficiary of the generous support of Major League Lacrosse and New Balance."
“Over its 40 year history, Special Olympics has positively impacted the lives of those living with intellectual disabilities through sports,” says Rob DeMartini, CEO, New Balance. “As a proud sponsor of the Massachusetts chapter of Special Olympics, we are excited to expand our support of their organization through this national program and help them continue to make a difference in the lives of thousands of dedicated athletes and their families.”
Tickets for the 2008 MLL All-Star Game are still available and may be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com or call 303-830-TIXS (8497) or for group tickets please call 303-OUTLAWS.
About New Balance
New Balance, headquartered in Boston, MA has the following mission: Demonstrating responsible leadership, we build global brands that athletes are proud to wear, associates are proud to create and communities are proud to host. New Balance employs more than 4000 people around the globe, and in 2007 reported worldwide sales of $1.63 billion. For more information please visit www.newbalance.com.
About the New Balance Foundation
The New Balance Foundation is a charitable Foundation established in 1981 and funded by New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc. The Foundation’s mission is to support effective charitable organizations which perform humanitarian services for the betterment of our children and our local community. For more information please visit www.newbalancefoundation.org.
About Major League Lacrosse
Major League Lacrosse, a 10-team professional outdoor lacrosse league, was founded in 1999 by fitness entrepreneur Jake Steinfeld, CEO of Body by Jake Global L.L.C., and founding partners Dave Morrow, a former champion lacrosse player and now CEO of Warrior Lacrosse, a leading global provider of innovative and high performance lacrosse equipment; Timothy B. Robertson, former CEO of The Family Channel and the current chairman of Bay Shore Enterprises, L.L.C., an investment holding company with activities in international media and Internet technology ventures; and Jim Davis, Chairman of New Balance. The MLL commenced play in June of 2001. The MLL is comprised of two conferences. The Eastern Conference contains the original six teams, Boston, Long Island, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Rochester and Washington. The Western Conference debuted in the 2006 season with MLL expansion franchises Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Additional league information can be found at www.majorleaguelacrosse.com.
Contact
Rachel Spates
Major League Lacrosse
rspates@majorleaguelacrosse.com
Amy Vreeland
New Balance
Amy.Vreeland@newbalance.com
Tracy DeVries
Special Olympics
TDevries@specialolympics.org
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