Children’s Aid Society to be Official Beneficiary of Jordan Classic

March 16, 2005

High School All-Star Basketball Event to be played at Madison Square Garden on April 16th

Jordan ClassicNEW YORK (March 16, 2005) – Jordan, a division of Nike, Inc., announced today that The Children’s Aid Society, a large non-profit children’s agency, will be the official charitable beneficiary of the 2005 Jordan Classic, the nation’s most prestigious high school all-star basketball event. The Jordan Classic will be held at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, April 16th and a portion of ticket proceeds will benefit The Children’s Aid Society. The event will showcase the country’s top high school seniors in a National Game, preceded by the Regional Game, featuring the top prep players from the New York City metropolitan area.

“The Children’s Aid Society is thrilled to be associated with the Jordan Classic,” said Philip Coltoff, CEO of Children’s Aid Society. “We’re looking forward to an entertaining evening of basketball that will also benefit the children and families that Children’s Aid serves.”

The Children’s Aid Society provides a broad range of essential health, education and social services to New York City’s children and families most in need of assistance. The organization currently serves more than 150,000 children and families each year, at over 40 sites throughout the city. During game week, the Jordan Classic players will pay a special visit to a Children’s Aid center.

“We are excited to team up with The Children’s Aid Society, the exclusive charity beneficiary of the 2005 Jordan Classic,” said Larry Miller, president of Jordan. “While our brand nurtures student-athletes through sports such as basketball, we also place a lot of importance on giving back to the community through relationships with organizations such as The Children’s Aid Society to provide health and education services.”

The event doubleheader will begin at 5:30 p.m. with the Regional Game, followed by the National Game at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are on sale now at all Ticketmaster locations, the Madison Square Garden box office, online at ticketmaster.com or by calling 212-307-7171. For more information, please visit the official web site, www.JordanClassic.com.

The mission of The Children’s Aid Society is to ensure the physical and emotional well being of children and families, and to provide every child with the support and opportunities needed to become a happy, healthy and successful adult. Children’s Aid addresses every aspect of a child’s life, from infancy through adolescence, including education, health, counseling, adoption and foster care, career readiness, arts and recreation, prevention and emergency assistance, without regard to race, religion, nationality or socio-economic status. Please visit www.childrensaidsociety.org for more information.

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Contact:
Theresa Tran, Jordan Public Relations
Phone: 503-671-3381, Email: theresa.tran@nike.com

Ellen Lubell, The Children’s Aid Society
Phone: 212.949.4938, Email: ellenl@childrensaidsociety.org

Dan Sabreen, Sports America, Inc.
Phone: 301-424-9334, Email: dan.sabreen@sportsamericainc.com