Seventh annual Rip City Rally route includes stops in Baker City, La Grande, Hermiston, The Dalles and Sandy
The Portland Trail Blazers and Moda are proud to announce the Seventh Annual Rip City Rally. Beginning Monday, September 9, a team of Trail Blazers and Moda ambassadors and staff will embark on a week-long journey to cities and towns across Oregon, engaging with Trail Blazers fans all along the way. This event brings Oregon communities together with energy and enthusiasm to showcase the Trail Blazers as “Oregon’s Team”.
Baker City will be the starting point of this year’s rally on Monday, September 9. From there the rally team will be traveling west to La Grande on Tuesday, September 10, Hermiston on Wednesday, September 11, The Dalles on Thursday, September 12, and finishing in Sandy on Friday, September 13.
The 2019-20 season marks the Trail Blazers 50th Anniversary, which will include special engagements for fans, in-game elements and sponsored activations to help trace the team’s journey dating back to 1970. To celebrate 50 years of Trail Blazers basketball, special activations and guests will appear all along the Rally route, bringing excitement for fans of all ages.
“The legacy of this franchise and the dedicated, passionate support of our fans deserves something special to mark 50 years. The Rip City Rally is a great opportunity to bring the energy and excitement of the Trail Blazers 50th Anniversary Season to fans all over Oregon,” said Chris McGowan, President and CEO of the Trail Blazers and Rose Quarter. “We recognize the commitment our fans have given the organization over the last 50 years and we can’t wait to team up with our partner Moda to show our appreciation and connect with fans in their local communities.”
“We continue to build our partnership with the Trail Blazers on our shared commitment to work together to build healthier communities,” said Dr. William Johnson, president of Moda Health. “Each year, the Rally creates exciting opportunities for us to engage with people across Oregon, to sit with them, to listen, to hear their stories. And all that builds toward the understanding that in the end we can indeed be better – better together.”
An entire day of events are scheduled in each city along the route. As part of the Trail Blazers’ and Moda’s partnership to showcase healthy and active living, events will focus on providing activities for kids, including school assemblies, Youth Basketball PE Takeovers and on-court Youth Basketball Activations at the Rip City Rally. The visit in each city along the route will conclude with a ceremonial flag raising with city officials, followed by a free community fair from 4-6 p.m. featuring activities for all ages.
Affiliates in the Trail Blazers Radio Network will participate in the festivities in each city (Baker City – KBKR 1490 AM; La Grande – KLBM 1450 AM; Hermiston – KTIX 1240 AM / 103.1 FM; The Dalles – KODL 1440 AM; Sandy – 620 AM)
Below are the locations for each Rip City Fair along the Rally route:
Baker City, September 9 – Main Street between Washington and Court
La Grande, September 10 – Adams Ave between 3rd and 4th
Hermiston, September 11 – Hermiston Community Center Parking Lot
The Dalles, September 12 – Cascade Square Parking Lot
Sandy, September 13 – Scales Ave between Proctor and Pioneer
Many Trail Blazers personalities will participate in different legs of the rally, including Trail Blazers TV Broadcasters Kevin Calabro and Lamar Hurd, Courtside Reporter Brooke Olzendam, Trail Blazers Alumni, In-Arena Host Todd Bosma, Blaze the Trail Cat, the BlazerDancers and more!
Please visit trailblazers.com/rally to get updates and information all along the rally.
ABOUT MODA
Founded in Portland in 1955, Moda is a health company committed to building healthier communities by helping our members get well sooner and live well longer. Our family of companies includes Moda Health, Delta Dental of Oregon/Alaska, ODS Community Dental, EOCCO, Ardon Health, BenefitHelp Solutions, Astra Practice Partners, Healthy Grid, and Arrow Dental.
ABOUT THE PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
Members of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Portland Trail Blazers were founded in 1970 and purchased by the late Paul G. Allen in 1988. The team’s rich heritage includes 34 playoff appearances, three trips to the NBA Finals, an NBA championship in 1977 and a commitment to community service and sustainability. The Trail Blazers are dedicated to positively impacting underserved kids and their families throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington where they live, learn and play. Portland is the first and only professional sports franchise to receive the prestigious National Points of Light Award for excellence in corporate and community service. The Trail Blazers home arena, the Moda Center, earned LEED Gold Recertification in 2015 after becoming the first existing professional sports venue in the world to receive LEED Gold status in 2010. The team is also one of the founding members of the Green Sports Alliance. For more information, visit www.trailblazers.com.
