FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Dick's Sporting Goods National Runners' Month partners with Michael J. Fox Foundation's Team Fox, pledges at least $50,000 to Parkinson's disease research

 

Pittsburgh, Pa., March 29, 2010 -- The Dick's Sporting Goods National Runners' Month, a major sports-marketing initiative scheduled for May 2010, named The Michael J. Fox Foundation's Team Fox program as its official charity partner and beneficiary.  Together, Dick's Sporting Goods National Runners’ Month and Team Fox will inspire runners across the country this spring to raise awareness and funds to find a cure for Parkinson's disease. The initiative includes a Facebook campaign, in-store promotions, racing opportunities and online donation vehicles.

 

"We're excited to partner with Team Fox in the race to find a cure for Parkinson's disease," said Jeffrey Hennion, executive vice president and chief marketing officer, Dick's Sporting Goods. "Team Fox is an exceptional organization that shares our company's belief that running can make a positive difference in people's lives," said Hennion.

 

“As every runner knows, running is a sport that requires not only your body, but your heart, mind and soul. That may be part of the reason runners gravitate to Team Fox,” said Michael J. Fox. “We’re incredibly grateful to the thousands of people who have already laced up their sneakers with the goal of making a difference in the millions of lives touched by Parkinson’s — and we thank Dick’s Sporting Goods for helping us spread the word to athletes across the country who may not know that their passion can be part of the solution to PD. ”

 

Officials for the Dick's Sporting Goods National Runners' Month kicked off the partnership by pledging to donate at least $50,000 to Team Fox and  to motivate individual fundraising to Team Fox using the Web, social media, and Team Fox's own large community of members.

 

The Facebook campaign will run from April 6 through June 6, 2010 during which Dick's Sporting Goods will donate one dollar to Team Fox for every running photo uploaded or tagged by runners on the Dick's Sporting Goods Facebook page. Runners who upload or tag photos will not only raise funds for Parkinson's, they will automatically be entered into weekly prize drawings. Each week in May, one lucky runner will win a $100 gift certificate valid at any Dick's Sporting Goods store.

 

Individuals will also be able to donate to Team Fox through the Dick's Sporting Goods National Runners' Month website and donations page on TeamFox.org. Additionally, Team Fox will have teams running at each of the ten official Dick's Sporting Goods National Runners' Month events across the country in May and early June, raising funds for Parkinson’s research.

 

About Dick's Sporting Goods National Runners' Month

Dick's Sporting Goods has declared May as Dick's Sporting Goods National Runners' Month, an initiative to promote running and highlight the retailer's deep commitment to serving runners.  Dick's Sporting Goods National Runners' Month includes major event sponsorship, Web, social media, mobile marketing, store promotions, and other activities aimed at helping runners enjoy their sport.  The official Dick's Sporting Goods National Runners' Month Event Calendar includes the following ten races:

 

     Alexandria Running Festival, Washington, D.C., May 2

     Dick's Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, May 2

     Chuy's Hot to Trot, Austin, Texas, May 8

     Palos Verde Marathon, Los Angeles, California, May 15

     Strawberry Festival, San Diego, California, May 30

     Brentwood 10K, Los Angeles, California, May 30

     Stillwater Marathon, Stillwater, Minnesota, May 30

     Ridge Run 10K, Chicago, Illinois, May 31

     Dick's Sporting Goods Bolder Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, May 31

     Starlight Run, Portland, Oregon, June 5

 

Dick's Sporting Goods National Runners' Month benefits Team Fox to raise funds and awareness for Parkinson's disease research. www.teamfox.org/2010/dickssportinggoods

 

About Dick's Sporting Goods, Inc.

Dick's Sporting Goods, Inc. is an authentic full-line sporting goods retailer offering a broad assortment of brand name sporting goods equipment, apparel, and footwear in a specialty store environment. The Company currently operates 419 Dick's Sporting Goods stores in 40 states primarily throughout the eastern half of the U.S. The Company also owns Golf Galaxy, Inc., a multi-channel golf specialty retailer, with 91 stores in 31 states, e-commerce websites and catalog operations. www.dickssportinggoods.com

 

About The Michael J. Fox Foundation 
The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research is dedicated to ensuring the development of better treatments, and ultimately a cure, for Parkinson’s disease through an aggressively funded research agenda. MJFF has funded over $175 million in research to date. For more information about the foundation, visit www.michaeljfox.org.

 

About Team Fox

Team Fox, the grassroots community fundraising arm of The Michael J. Fox Foundation, is made up of thousands of people who find fun and creative ways to raise funds and awareness for Parkinson's research, one of which is through athletic endeavors.  Team Fox supports runners and other athletes all over the world in their goal of taking on physical and philanthropic challenges on behalf of the Foundation.  Since its inception in 2006, Team Fox members have raised more than $8 million for Parkinson's research. www.teamfox.org

 

###

 

 

Media Contacts

Brock Foreman

Dick's Sporting Goods National Runners' Month

207-233-7968

brock.foreman@gmail.com

 

Megan Shakleton

Michael J. Fox Foundation / Team Fox

mshackleton@michaeljfox.org