Chicago Teen to Meet Her Sports Idol at The Athlete's Foot
Regional Winner of Retailer's In My Shoes Contest Greets Mark Buehrle October 1st at the Westfield Chicago Ridge Mall
| Source: NexCen Brands, Inc.
CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwire - September 28, 2007) - Kimberly Essary is a 16-year-old with goals.
She wanted to make her sophomore volleyball team. She wanted to be a "game
changer" on whom her teammates can count in critical situations. And she
very much wanted to meet her sports idol, White Sox
pitcher Mark Buehrle. Now, with the help of The Athlete's Foot (TAF),
Kimberly has realized all of these aspirations. TAF announced today that
the 16-year-old student from Lincoln Way Central High School has been
selected as a regional winner of its nationwide In My Shoes contest and will come
face-to-face with Mark Buehrle at The Athlete's Foot store in the Westfield
Chicago Ridge mall on Monday evening, October 1st.
"The In My Shoes campaign and contest encouraged our young customers,
everyday athletes who are starting a new school year, to share their
performance goals so that The Athlete's Foot stores in their communities
could empower them to achieve and excel," commented Robert W. D'Loren,
President and CEO of NexCen Brands,
Inc., parent company of TAF. "As our first-selected regional winner,
Kimberly did an excellent job of expressing her desire to perform at her
highest level. We are delighted that, through the local Athlete's Foot
franchise in her hometown, we are able to introduce her to a fellow Chicago
athlete who shares a commitment to excellence."
Kimberly's winning contest entry expressed the teen's athletic goals and
her commitment to always believing in herself. She is currently a member
of the Lincoln Way Knights volleyball team, which has gone 5-3 thus far
this season. She's a life-long athlete having also participated in
softball, basketball and track, where she reached the state championships
in shot-put.
"I am so excited to have the opportunity to meet Mark Buehrle," commented
Kimberly when notified she had the winning entry. "I have been a White Sox
fan since I was born, and a fan of his since he joined the team. I
remember staying up late on school nights when I was just 14 to watch the
World Series games."
Buehrle earned a no-decision in Game 2 of that series, and his first career
save in Game 3. At the start of this season, the leftie threw a no-hitter,
facing the minimum number of batters, walking only one batter and picking
him off at first-base for an out. On top of his on-field expertise,
Buehrle is considered a fan favorite and has been known to slide around the
tarp during rain delays to entertain the crowd.
While many admire Mark Buehrle, Kimberly Essary might be considered a
super-fan. Her email address is a clever play on her first name and the
object of her admiration -- it begins "kimbuehrle." Her room is decorated
with photos of the pitcher and newspaper clippings of the White Sox World
Series win. She's also the proud owner of a Buehrle-signed baseball and
jersey.
The two athletes will meet on Monday, October 1st, at Kimberly's local
Athlete's Foot store in the Westfield Chicago Ridge Mall on 95th Street at
Ridgeland Avenue in Chicago Ridge, IL. There, Buehrle will sign autographs
for the public from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. and will meet Kimberly and present
her with a gift card prize from 7:30 to 8:00 p.m.
"We are extremely pleased to unite Kimberly, a passionate White Sox fan,
with another dedicated athlete, Mark Buehrle, at our TAF store," said Amir
Darwish, franchisee, The Athlete's Foot. "One of the great benefits of
owning a TAF store is connecting with our community and helping our
customers to reach their goals."
The TAF In My Shoes campaign, which the retailer launched in late July,
invited students ages 13 to 18 nationwide to submit written or video (YouTube) entries
stating their performance goals for the new school year. Local winners,
selected from participating TAF stores, will receive a $75 TAF gift card.
In addition to the Chicago event with Mark Buehrle, nine other regional
winners will meet pro athletes from their communities, including:
-- Redskins running back Clinton
Portis
-- Carolina Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward
-- New York Knicks forward David Lee
-- Atlanta Falcons running back Warrick Dunn
-- Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Stokley
-- Detroit Lions quarterback Jon Kitna
-- Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Reggie Brown
-- Houston Texans running back Ahman
Green
-- New Orleans Saints receiver Marques Colston
The Athlete's Foot is thrilled to contribute 10% of the proceeds from the
memorabilia sales at each regional meet-and-greet to The Achilles Track Club's
(ATC) Achilles Kids program (www.achillestrackclub.org), which enables
young people with all types of disabilities to participate in mainstream
athletics, to promote personal achievement, enhanced self esteem and the
lowering of barriers between people.
One national winner will have a one-on-one coaching session with one of the
hottest professional athletes in the country. The winner and athlete will
be announced by late October.
About The Athlete's Foot
(www.theathletesfoot.com)
The Athlete's Foot® (TAF) is the world's first franchisor of athletic
footwear stores and is recognized today as the world leader in athletic
footwear franchising. Robert and David Lando opened the first The
Athlete's Foot store in 1971 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was the first
athletic footwear specialty store of its kind in the United States. Soon
thereafter, TAF began franchising domestically, with the first franchise
store opening in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The first international franchise
store opened in 1978 in Adelaide, Australia, the beginning of TAF's
expansion into over 45 countries. In June, 2007, NexCen Brands launched a
global re-branding effort for TAF. Plans for reinvigorating the 36-year-old
brand include an innovative new modular merchandising system, new in-store
design, a modernized company logo, and a line of TAF branded apparel.
About NexCen Brands, Inc.
(www.nexcenbrands.com)
NexCen Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ : NEXC ) is the premier 21st century brand
acquisition and management company focused on assembling a diversified
portfolio of intellectual property-centric companies operating in the
consumer branded products and franchise industries. The Company owns,
licenses, franchises and markets a growing portfolio of consumer and
franchise brands including The Athlete's Foot®, Bill Blass®,
MaggieMoo's®, Marble Slab Creamery®, Pretzel Time®, Pretzelmaker®
and Waverly®. The Company licenses and franchises its brands to a
network of leading retailers, manufacturers and franchisees that includes
every major segment of retail distribution from the luxury market to the
mass market in the U.S. and in over 50 countries around the world, and
consists of more than 1,500 franchised stores. NexCen, through its
information technology and franchisee support systems and advertising,
marketing and public relations team, markets its brands to continually
drive greater consumer awareness and brand equity for each of its brands.
NexCen touches nearly every aspect of a consumer's lifestyle from the food
they eat to the furnishings in their homes and the clothes and footwear
they purchase.