The Portland Trail Blazers and Moda Health have announced that the Fifth Annual Rip City Relay will include a stop in Florence.
On September 12, Florence will be the second stop on the weeklong journey around the state for a team of Trail Blazers and Moda ambassadors to engage with Trail Blazers fans, help build healthier communities, and showcase the Trail Blazers as “Oregon’s Team.”
An entire day of events is scheduled in Florence. 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 and basketball clinics. The visit will conclude with a ceremonial flag raising with city officials, followed by the Rip City Fair, a free community gathering featuring activities for all ages from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Port of Siuslaw property in Old Town Florence.
“The Rip City Relay will be an exciting event for Florence and ties in with the Chamber’s identity as “Oregon’s Coastal Playground” and the City of Florence’s “A City in Motion” theme,” says Chamber executive director Bettina Hannigan. “We encourage Florence-area residents to get active and come down to the Old Town area and Port of Siuslaw property for the afternoon festivities.”
Many Trail Blazers personalities will participate in different legs of the relay, including Trail Blazers TV broadcaster Lamar Hurd, courtside reporter Brooke Olzendam, radio broadcaster Brian Wheeler, Blaze the Trail Cat, the BlazerDancers, and more.
Here is the schedule of events for Tuesday, September 12:
Basketball Clinic – Siuslaw Middle School: Trail Blazers youth basketball coaches take over a PE class to teach local kids how to play like the pros.
School Assembly – Siuslaw Elementary School: Trail Blazers personalities take over a school assembly for an hour of flair, fanfare, and fun.
4:00 p.m. Rip City Flag Raising – Port of Siuslaw Parking Lot: Florence Mayor Joe Henry joins Trail Blazers and Moda representatives to tip off the Rip City Fair with opening ceremonies.
4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Rip City Fair – Port of Siuslaw Parking Lot: Fans are invited to this free community gathering from 4-6 PM featuring fun for the whole family, including the opportunity to interact and play basketball with Trail Blazers personalities, take photos with the 1977 NBA Championship trophy, and win game tickets and other prizes.
For more information visit Trailblazers.com/ripcityrelay or follow the relay’s progress on Twitter by using the hashtag #RipCityRelay.
