by Larry Eder
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.
