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WNBA Women's National Basketball Association

2007 WNBA BE tour hits the road

May 21, 2007 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) News Release


New York, May 21, 2007 - The annual WNBA BE Tour will tip off its season long road trip on May 25, 2007, beginning in Phoenix, home of the Phoenix Mercury. The traveling mobile fitness expo, a leading component of the WNBA's national Be Smart-Be Fit-Be Yourself initiative, is the League's premiere interactive touring program. Through interactive events and positive messaging, the WNBA BE Tour will promote fitness, health and self-confidence among girls and women in 13 markets, making 28 event days in total.

The WNBA BE Tour brings the fun and excitement of the WNBA directly to its fans, giving them the opportunity to "BE" a WNBA star by participating in basketball activities, trying on adidas uniforms and sampling Diet Ocean Spray® Juice Drinks and snacks prepared with Craisins® Sweetened Dried Cranberries. The Tour is scheduled to stop at festivals, fairs and WNBA arenas around the country, and will be a primary feature at the 2007 WNBA All-Star game in Washington, DC, July 14-15, 2007.

Olympic gold medalist, WNBA legend and fitness expert, Jennifer Azzi, will serve as the BE Tour spokesperson and conduct fitness clinics at all BE Tour stops, working with women and children on developing a healthier lifestyle.

"The health issues facing our youth are at a critical point," said Azzi. "We want to show kids how to live healthy lives, a message that many of them may not get at school. The WNBA BE Tour is taking action to help educate kids so they learn healthy habits, and as they learn to care for their bodies their futures will be that much brighter."

As a proud partner of the WNBA BE Tour for the second consecutive year, Ocean Spray will conduct product sampling and offer health and fitness lifestyle messaging within their "Bog-er-cise" area. Fans will learn how to make Ocean Spray part of their lean, mean, daily routine by choosing healthy foods like Craisins® Sweetened Dried Cranberries and Diet Ocean Spray® and easy tips for incorporating exercise into their everyday lives. They'll also learn how to incorporate the healthy cranberry into quick meals and snacks via demonstrations. Fans can create their own Bog-er-cise commercials and win Ocean Spray/Be Tour prizes.

"Ocean Spray has long played an active role in helping families live healthier lives," said Ken Romanzi, Ocean Spray's Chief Operating Officer. "We are proud to continue our history of partnering with organizations like the WNBA's BE Tour in promoting health, fitness and self-confidence to fans and families."

adidas, as a first-year partner and the official outfitter of the BE Tour, will offer fans a chance to try on the newly redesigned and reconstructed WNBA uniforms in their specially branded "Locker Room" area. Fans can suit up in the official uniforms of their favorite players and test out adidas' ClimaLite® advanced fabric technology that works to regulate the athlete's body temperature by conducting heat and sweat away from the body. Photos with various backgrounds, including on-court action, will be taken of each of the "players" and will be available for download on WNBA.com.

"adidas is excited to be part of the WNBA's BE Tour," said Lawrence Norman, Vice President of adidas Global Basketball. "This partnership is a fantastic opportunity for adidas to expand our existing relationship with the WNBA as the official uniform and apparel provider. The WNBA Be Tour creates additional synergies that allow us to reach out to our fans and showcase the relationship in a fun and interactive way."

Choose Respect, a national effort launched by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), will also align with the WNBA BE Tour in an effort to promote healthy relationships among youth and prevent dating abuse before it starts.

Through fun, interactive activities, kids can learn more about positive relationship behaviors, the power of choice, and how they can take steps to form healthy, respectful relationships with others.

"This is a terrific program because it helps kids discover what it means to respect themselves and others," said Dr. Ileana Arias, CDC's Injury Center Director. "We want kids to make smart and healthy decisions, and that's often hard to do. This program, with its variety of activities and emphasis on making learning fun, is an appealing way to reach families, parents and kids." WNBA BE Tour on-site activities include:

- WNBA Thrills and Drills Center Court: Fans can win authentic WNBA merchandise and prizes by competing in various shooting and trivia contests, participate in daily exercise and fitness demonstrations and clinics run by WNBA players and Legends, see performances by WNBA Team dance teams and mascots, and get autographs from their favorite WNBA players. - CDC Choose Respect: Fans will have the opportunity to showcase their rapping skills and record their very own "Rap for Respect" song that promotes choosing respect. After singing their heart out, fans can sign the WNBA and CDC Mural, which will then be on display at an upcoming game of the local WNBA Team. - adidas Locker Room: Fans will have the opportunity to get decked out in the hottest adidas apparel and look like a real WNBA Player! "Suit up for the Game" and take unique photo opportunities including on-court action shots which can be shared with friends and family. - Ocean Spray Bog-er-cise Area: On-site chefs will tantalize taste buds by offering cooking demonstrations of healthy lifestyle recipes incorporating Craisins. Fans will take home Ocean Spray treats provided by Craisins and Ocean Spray Diet Juice. - WNBA Registration Tent: Fans receive their own "Fan Credential" which includes a personalized code that can be used on WNBA.com to download their photos and CDC Rap from their visit to the BE Tour.

Tour Dates

May 25 Phoenix Mercury Fan Fest - Phoenix, AZ

May 27 Desert Ridge Marketplace - Phoenix, AZ

June 2-3 Kemah Boardwalk - Houston, TX

June 8-10 Texas Folklife Festival - San Antonio, TX

June 16-17 Mall of America - Minneapolis, MN

June 23 Chicago Sky Game - Chicago, IL

June 30 - July 1 Ford City Mall - Chicago, IL

July 7-8 South Street Seaport, New York, NY

July 14-15 WNBA All-Star Weekend - Washington, D.C.

July 21-22 Bite of Seattle - Seattle, WA

July 28-29 Arden Fair Mall - Sacramento, CA

August 4-5 Orange County Fair - Los Angeles, CA

August 11-12 Indiana State Fair - Indianapolis, IN

August 19 Mohegan Sun Arena - Uncasville, CT

August 24-26 Michigan State Fair - Detroit, MI

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