BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS TRACK ATHLETES START YEAR WITH NEW FOOTWEAR
--NEW BALANCE DONATES 1,000 PAIRS OF ATHLETIC SHOES TO BOSTON
SCHOLAR ATHLETE PROGRAM-BOSTON-MA (January 17, 2011) Today, the Boston Scholar Athlete Program announced that
Boston-based New Balance has generously donated one thousand pairs of athletic shoes to
Boston Public School track athletes. The footwear arrived on January 13 and will be distributed
to 14 Boston track programs throughout the next week. The remaining shoes will be
distributed to athletes that participate in the Spring Outdoor Track Program.
"It's great to have business leaders in our city that understand the needs of our community and
respond with the resources needed to help achieve a better Boston for all of our residents,"
Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino said. "The Boston Scholar Athlete program and New Balance
make a fantastic team for our student athletes on and off the field."
"It is donations such as this that reminds us what a powerful impact our community partners
can have on our scholar athletes," said Boston Public Schools Superintendent Carol R. Johnson.
"These New Balance sneakers will help our students excel on the track and therefore also in the
classroom. With the help of the Boston Scholar Athlete Program we will continue to remove the
barriers that prevent our students from participating in programs like track."
"We are proud to support Mayor Menino and the Boston Scholar Athletes Program in a vision
that we share - producing academic achievement through the pursuit of athletics. Mayor
Menino and the City continue to be at the forefront of finding ways to help students achieve
the tools necessary to excel in life and learning. We applaud all of the City's student athletes
for their on-going commitment to succeed," said Matt LeBretton, Director of Public Affairs for
New Balance.
"We'd like to thank New Balance for their overwhelming generosity; it is a shining example of
the commitment of local businesses to our athletes. Our partners like New Balance help us to
create a solid foundation upon which students can achieve academic and athletic success and
prepare them for the future," said John Fish, Chairman of the Red & Blue Foundation and CEO
of Suffolk Construction Company.
The Boston Public Schools Indoor Track Program services more than 500 student-athletes every
year, making it one of the largest athletic programs for both boys and girls combined, in the
city. These 500 athletes make up 16 teams that practice and compete on a weekly basis at the
Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center in Roxbury, MA.
The Boston Scholar Athlete Program is a program designed to support academic achievement
through athletics in the Boston Public Schools. Now in its second year, the BSA is a
collaboration with Mayor Menino, Superintendent Johnson, and Suffolk Construction's Red &
Blue Foundation. The BSA currently supports more than 1,500 student athletes in the Boston
Public High Schools.
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 4,000
people around the globe, and in 2009 reported worldwide sales of $1.65 billion. For more
information please visit www.newbalance.com
CONTACT:
BSA: Carolyn Spicer-617.908.7701
New Balance: Amy Dow-617.746.2214